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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · scale · vault · stem · arm · band · board · pass

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. board — a committee
  4. scale — size or range
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pass — a permit
  11. board — to get on
  12. scale — in music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stem — to come from
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com