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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: face · wave · pitch · stem · field · fall · bark · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fall — the season
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. face — to point toward
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. face — part of the head
  18. field — for sport
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bark — to shout
  21. face — to confront
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fall — to drop

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