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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: vault · jam · mate · root · lean · cap · last · stem

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cap — of ice
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mate — a friend
  11. root — of a word
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. last — finally
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mate — a partner
  18. lean — to bend
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. last — to go on
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. last — final
  23. lean — thin
  24. cap — a hat

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