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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 · season · face · charge · root · spring · bank

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. stock — goods
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bank — for money
  8. season — of the year
  9. spring — a coil
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. face — to confront
  15. charge — in control
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bank — of a river
  22. season — in sport
  23. root — the cause
  24. bank — for money

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