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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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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: tube · fan · pound · face · vault · band · wound · fork

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. band — a music group
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. tube — a container
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. face — to confront
  12. wound — an injury
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. band — a ring
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — to eat with

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