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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cap — of ice
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cap — a hat
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. ground — the earth
  9. face — to confront
  10. cap — a lid
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. face — part of the head
  14. board — to get on
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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