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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: root · wound · bass · stem · vault · stand · present · wake

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bass — low music
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — of a word
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. present — a gift
  19. root — the cause
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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