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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: face · toast · pound · vault · branch · hide · firm · cap

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. firm — steady
  5. face — to confront
  6. vault — a safe
  7. branch — a division
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cap — of ice
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — a company
  14. cap — a hat
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pound — a weight
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. firm — decided
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — to point toward
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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