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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: cell · face · deal · vault · cap · fine · can · track

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. face — to confront
  3. track — to keep track
  4. can — a tin
  5. cap — a hat
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. track — a path
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cell — in biology
  15. face — to point toward
  16. can — a tin
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cap — of ice
  22. track — a song
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cap — a lid

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