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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. net — for catching
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. land — a country
  6. fall — to drop
  7. land — ground
  8. face — to point toward
  9. land — to come down
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — after costs
  13. fall — the season
  14. bank — for money
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bank — of a river
  18. net — in sport
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. face — to confront
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bank — for money

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