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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: pit · face · rest · cap · cue · mate · vault · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pit — a hole
  3. band — a ring
  4. face — to confront
  5. band — a music group
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cap — of ice
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cue — a signal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — a hint
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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