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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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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 · face · deal · tube · row · fine · temple · stand

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. face — part of the head
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. tube — a container
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. deal — to handle
  13. tube — the underground
  14. face — to confront
  15. vault — a safe
  16. row — a line
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stand — to bear
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. row — to paddle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fine — high quality

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