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

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. track — a path
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wind — moving air
  8. face — to confront
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wind — to turn a key

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