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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · tube · stem · trunk · nail · face · lie · ball

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ball — a great time
  9. tube — a container
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. face — to confront
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to point toward
  20. vault — a safe
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tube — the underground

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