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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: temple · bank · vault · capital · face · race · lash · prune

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — humankind
  3. face — to point toward
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. race — the arms race
  7. face — to confront
  8. prune — to trim
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. capital — a city
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. capital — money
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. face — part of the head
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bank — for money
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. race — a contest
  24. bank — of a river

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