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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: firm · roll · leaves · mug · date · vault · face · branch

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. firm — steady
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. branch — a division
  6. firm — decided
  7. roll — a list
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mug — a cup
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. roll — a cake
  15. vault — a safe
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — a company
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. face — to confront

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