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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: chair · bank · face · vault · wake · bore · scale · net

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — to tire
  10. scale — in music
  11. bore — to drill
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bank — for money
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chair — a leader
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. face — part of the head
  19. scale — size or range
  20. face — to confront
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wake — a trail
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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