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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: mug · firm · face · branch · foot · net · pop · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pop — to visit
  5. net — for catching
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. net — after costs
  11. firm — steady
  12. mug — to rob
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mug — a face
  16. net — in sport
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. foot — a measure
  20. firm — a company
  21. face — to confront
  22. firm — decided
  23. branch — a division
  24. face — part of the head

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