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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. shower — rain
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wake — a trail
  14. vault — a safe
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. face — to point toward
  17. snap — to click
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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