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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: kick · vault · stem · wave · spring · fall · last · nail

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. spring — a coil
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. last — final
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fall — the season
  8. kick — in football
  9. spring — the season
  10. last — to go on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. last — finally
  23. stem — to come from
  24. spring — of water

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