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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: vault · nail · season · mouse · stand · face · band · date

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. date — the fruit
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. face — part of the head
  11. season — of the year
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mouse — for a computer

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