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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · press · lean · object · vault · stem · mine · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. press — a publisher
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. press — to push
  9. lean — thin
  10. vault — a safe
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rash — a series
  16. face — to confront
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. object — a thing
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rash — hasty
  22. press — newspapers
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rash — on the skin

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