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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: bay · vault · face · fine · bore · bank · temple · saw

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. face — part of the head
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fine — high quality
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. face — to confront
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. face — to point toward
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bore — to drill
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. temple — a place of worship

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