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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: rock · vault · bore · stem · cue · root · spring · arm

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. root — the cause
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spring — a coil
  8. root — of a word
  9. spring — of water
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cue — a hint
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rock — music
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stem — to come from
  20. spring — the season
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cue — for pool
  24. arm — part of the body

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