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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. chest — a box
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. face — part of the head
  6. vault — a safe
  7. chest — of your body
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chest — of your body
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cap — a hat
  12. face — to confront
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cap — of ice

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