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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. face — to confront
  7. bank — of a river
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. face — to point toward
  13. net — for catching
  14. tube — a container
  15. lie — to recline
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bank — for money
  18. vault — a safe
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. game — a match
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. net — after costs

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