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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: band · face · mate · plane · vault · bank · bowl · net

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — a friend
  5. net — after costs
  6. mate — to breed
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. vault — a safe
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mate — a partner
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bank — for money
  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