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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: face · vault · dip · bound · hand · mug · capital · mark

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mug — a face
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. capital — money
  6. hand — help
  7. bound — obliged
  8. face — to point toward
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. face — part of the head
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mug — a cup
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. face — to confront
  16. bound — certain
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bound — tied together
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mark — a grade
  21. capital — a city
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mug — to rob
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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