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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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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 · vault · mark · fall · cold · bulb · stem · rash

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fall — the season
  4. mark — a grade
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cold — an illness
  12. stem — to come from
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rash — hasty
  17. face — to confront
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rash — a series
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mark — a trace
  24. face — part of the head

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