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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: stem · spring · vault · face · stock · wound · key · bulb

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. stock — a soup base
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. spring — a coil
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. face — to confront
  9. stock — shares
  10. spring — of water
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — the season
  14. key — in music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. key — the most important part
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stock — goods
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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