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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: stick · stem · sharp · mouse · club · roll · lean · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. roll — a list
  7. stem — to come from
  8. lean — thin
  9. sharp — clever
  10. club — for golf
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lean — to bend
  15. roll — a cake
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. club — a group
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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