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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 116 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: firm · bulb · vault · land · branch · fall · face · stick

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. land — a country
  10. fall — the season
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. firm — steady
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. face — to confront
  17. fall — to drop
  18. firm — decided
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. firm — a company
  23. face — to point toward
  24. land — ground

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