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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 120 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: ground · key · stem · mouse · vault · stick · sharp · chest

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chest — a box
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. key — in music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ground — crushed
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ground — a position
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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