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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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. face — part of the head
  5. last — finally
  6. vault — a safe
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bank — of a river
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. last — final
  13. pound — a weight
  14. last — to go on
  15. squash — the sport
  16. face — to confront
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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