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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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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: vault · stock · swing · fall · bore · bulb · stem · face

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — shares
  4. face — part of the head
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stock — goods
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. swing — to play on
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bulb — for light
  16. swing — music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fall — the season
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bulb — for light
  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