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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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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 · capital · stem · club · charge · straw · firm · vault

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. firm — decided
  3. face — part of the head
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. capital — a city
  6. face — to point toward
  7. charge — a price
  8. club — for golf
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — a group
  11. firm — a company
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. club — for dancing
  18. charge — in control
  19. firm — steady
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. face — to confront
  23. stem — to come from
  24. capital — money

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