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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: fork · rule · spell · vault · bank · face

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rule — a law
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rule — government
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bank — of a river
  8. spell — magic
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bank — for money
  12. spell — letters
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bank — for money
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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