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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: stem · vault · degree · stand · mug · craft · march · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mug — a cup
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. craft — boats
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stand — to bear
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mug — to rob
  12. face — to confront
  13. vault — a safe
  14. march — the month
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. degree — from a university
  17. march — music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mug — a face
  20. march — the month
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. degree — temperature

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