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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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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 · bulb · vault · last · land · bank · drill · cue

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cue — for pool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. land — ground
  5. bank — for money
  6. drill — the tool
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. last — final
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. vault — a safe
  12. land — to come down
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — a hint
  15. drill — army training
  16. last — to go on
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — to confront
  21. drill — a practice
  22. land — a country
  23. cue — a signal
  24. last — finally

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