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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: key · vault · face · hand · can · degree · land · cabinet

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — in music
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. face — to point toward
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. can — to be able to
  10. face — to confront
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. land — ground
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. degree — an amount
  16. land — a country
  17. face — part of the head
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. vault — a safe
  22. hand — in cards
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — to come down

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