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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: hand · face · ball · suit · drill · vault · bank · spell

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bank — for money
  4. suit — to fit
  5. drill — army training
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. hand — help
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. face — to confront
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bank — for money
  15. suit — clothes
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bank — of a river
  18. spell — letters
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hand — in cards
  21. drill — a practice
  22. face — to point toward
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ball — a great time

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