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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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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 · band · bay · bowl · face · swing · net · tube

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. face — to point toward
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. net — after costs
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. swing — to play on
  12. face — to confront
  13. vault — a safe
  14. net — for catching
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. net — in sport
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. band — a music group
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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