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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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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: mark · leaves · face · court · stem · deal · spring · vault

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. spring — of water
  7. deal — to handle
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mark — a grade
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. face — to confront
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mark — a trace
  17. spring — the season
  18. court — of law
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. face — to point toward
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. spring — a coil
  24. deal — an agreement

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