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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: rule · cabinet · vault · spell · staff · face · bank · clip

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. clip — for paper
  5. spell — a short time
  6. staff — a stick
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. staff — employees
  10. bank — of a river
  11. spell — letters
  12. rule — a law
  13. face — to confront
  14. clip — a video
  15. staff — employees
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. spell — magic
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. clip — to cut

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