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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bank — for money
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. band — a ring
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. foot — a measure
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bank — for money
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. face — to confront
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bank — of a river
  22. face — part of the head
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. racket — for tennis

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