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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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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: face · craft · vault · band · press · bear

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. craft — boats
  4. press — newspapers
  5. face — to confront
  6. craft — a skill
  7. face — to point toward
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. press — to push
  10. band — a ring
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bear — the animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bear — the animal

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