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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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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: stem · vault · fall · coach · ground · wax · bay · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — happening now
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ground — the earth
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. current — of water
  18. ground — a position
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stem — to come from
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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