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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: band · face · ruler · key · bark · saw · vault · plane

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. face — to point toward
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bark — to shout
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. plane — a tool
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. band — a ring

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