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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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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: vault · bear · date · rule · stem · row · snap · calf

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rule — government
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. vault — a safe
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stem — to come from
  15. row — to paddle
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bear — the animal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. row — a line
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rule — a law
  24. snap — to click

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