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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: face · stem · tear · vault · calf · pitcher · stand · season

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. season — of the year
  4. face — to point toward
  5. season — in sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tear — from crying
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stem — to come from

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