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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 · wax · vault · fine · pound · rest · shower · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. vault — a safe
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. shower — rain
  15. fine — all right
  16. rest — a break
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rest — what's left
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wax — to grow
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wax — for sculpting

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