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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 116 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: face · vault · spring · club · ground · branch · pass · suit

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. suit — in cards
  3. spring — a coil
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ground — a position
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. spring — the season
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. club — a group
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. branch — a division
  14. spring — of water
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. face — part of the head
  19. suit — clothes
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. club — for golf
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. suit — to fit

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