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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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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: club · deal · bank · hand · cabinet · march · face · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bank — for money
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hand — help
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. club — for golf
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — for money
  10. march — the month
  11. club — a group
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. face — to confront
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. hand — in cards
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — a safe
  19. march — the month
  20. club — for dancing
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. march — music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. deal — to handle

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