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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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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: bank · mark · vault · face · rest · tear · land · pitch

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. land — a country
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tear — from crying
  6. face — to confront
  7. bank — for money
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tear — from crying
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rest — a break
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. face — to point toward
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — ground
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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