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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. face — to confront
  3. bank — of a river
  4. present — the time now
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. race — a contest
  7. face — part of the head
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bank — for money
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pound — a weight
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — humankind
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. vault — a safe
  18. present — there
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. face — to point toward
  22. hand — help
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. present — a gift

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