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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: band · rule · track · vault · prune · bear · mate · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mate — to breed
  5. band — a ring
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. vault — a safe
  11. band — a music group
  12. rule — a law
  13. mate — a partner
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rule — government
  21. face — part of the head
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — the animal
  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