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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 116 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: field · calf · stem · club · vault · leaves · tear · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. tear — to rip
  5. field — for sport
  6. vault — a safe
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. field — a subject
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. club — for dancing
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. club — a group
  20. stem — to come from
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. tear — from crying
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. club — for golf

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