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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: suit · vault · board · wax · temple · pound · dip · stem

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wax — to grow
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. board — to get on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stem — to come from
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a committee
  21. suit — clothes
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pound — a weight
  24. vault — a safe

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