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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
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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: suit · bound · stem · bay · fan · vault · face · last

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. last — finally
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — to go on
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. face — to point toward
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stem — to come from
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. face — to confront
  24. last — final

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