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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · can · face · field · bound · saw · cabinet · vault

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. face — to point toward
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. can — to be able to
  7. face — to confront
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bound — tied together
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — farmland
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. field — for sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bound — certain
  21. field — a subject
  22. face — part of the head
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bound — obliged

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