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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: vault · face · fall · spring · court · bank · lash · arm

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fall — to drop
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — of a river
  7. court — for sport
  8. fall — the season
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — the season
  23. face — to confront
  24. bank — for money

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