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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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Word bank
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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: tube · capital · stem · vault · wake · face · firm · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. capital — a city
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. firm — a company
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. face — to point toward
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wake — a trail
  17. firm — steady
  18. tube — a container
  19. vault — a safe
  20. firm — decided
  21. face — to confront
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. capital — money
  24. face — part of the head

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