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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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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: charge · ball · vault · spring · board · face · snap · stem

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. vault — a safe
  5. spring — of water
  6. board — a committee
  7. face — part of the head
  8. snap — to click
  9. face — to confront
  10. charge — a price
  11. ball — a great time
  12. board — to get on
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ball — a dance
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spring — the season
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. spring — a coil

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