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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: band · chip · vault · stand · lean · bulb · face · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. face — to confront
  6. lean — thin
  7. foot — a measure
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. face — part of the head
  11. band — a ring
  12. lean — to bend
  13. face — to point toward
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bulb — of a plant

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