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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. shower — rain
  3. face — to point toward
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. can — a tin
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. band — a music group
  10. can — to be able to
  11. face — part of the head
  12. prune — to trim
  13. face — to confront
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. band — a ring
  18. shower — to wash
  19. prune — to trim
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lie — an untruth

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