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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: charge · board · safe · stem · temple · wind · vault · root

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wind — moving air
  3. vault — a safe
  4. charge — electricity
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. root — of a word
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. root — of a plant
  9. board — a committee
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. board — to get on
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. root — the cause

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