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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: stand · cell · root · vault · race · perch · wake · bear

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. race — a contest
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. race — humankind
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wake — a trail
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. root — of a word
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. root — the cause

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