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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: firm · stem · present · shower · face · vault

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. face — to point toward
  5. shower — rain
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stem — to come from
  9. present — the time now
  10. vault — a safe
  11. shower — to wash
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. firm — a company
  15. face — to confront
  16. present — a gift
  17. face — part of the head
  18. present — there

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