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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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Word bank
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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: hand · face · ball · suit · drill · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. suit — in cards
  3. drill — army training
  4. face — to point toward
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hand — help
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. suit — clothes
  11. drill — a practice
  12. face — to confront
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. face — part of the head
  17. suit — to fit
  18. ball — a round shape

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