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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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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 · ball · ground · wave · sharp · stem · bank · kick

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ground — a position
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — in football
  16. bank — for money
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stem — to come from

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