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

Word bank: bowl · bear · stand · face · vault · club

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. club — for golf
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. club — a group
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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