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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: field · bowl · current · wind · bass · face · stem · vault

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. field — farmland
  7. current — electric
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wind — moving air
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. current — of water
  12. field — for sport
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bass — the fish
  15. face — to confront
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bass — low music
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stem — to come from
  22. field — a subject
  23. face — to point toward
  24. current — happening now

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