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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rock · vault · wake · bore · fan · key · stem

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. field — a subject
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bore — to drill
  18. field — for sport
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. field — farmland
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bore — to tire

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