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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 120 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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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 · bank · fine · cell · wave · net · vault · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. net — after costs
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bank — for money
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. net — for catching
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fine — high quality
  10. face — to confront
  11. cell — in biology
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. vault — a safe
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bank — for money
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fine — all right
  19. net — in sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fine — a penalty

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