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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: face · bank · vault · date · chair · lie · row · toast

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. row — to paddle
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. lie — to recline
  8. toast — bread
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. face — part of the head
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — a line
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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