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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · fan · vault · object · march · lean · stem · cell

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stock — shares
  6. cell — a phone
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. march — music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. march — the month
  15. object — an aim
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. march — the month
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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