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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: rush · stem · bat · bark · present · vault · key · race

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rush — hurry
  3. race — the arms race
  4. key — in music
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. vault — a safe
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. present — the time now
  12. race — a contest
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. present — there
  15. race — humankind
  16. present — a gift
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bat — for baseball

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