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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: rest · root · face · pound · stem · rush · saw · vault

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rest — a break
  8. root — of a word
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. face — part of the head
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. face — to point toward
  14. root — the cause
  15. rush — hurry
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stem — to come from
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rest — what's left
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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