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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: vault · fall · pit · bass · racket · wave · stem · arm

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. vault — a safe
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bass — low music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fall — to drop
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stem — to come from
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bass — the fish
  24. racket — for tennis

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