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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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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: firm · wave · face · vault · straw · prune · rock · stock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. face — to point toward
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rock — a stone
  7. firm — decided
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. vault — a safe
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. face — to confront
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. firm — a company
  18. stock — goods
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stock — shares
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. face — part of the head
  23. firm — steady
  24. rock — music

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