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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 116 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. shower — rain
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. vault — a safe
  6. swing — to play on
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. fine — all right
  10. rash — a series
  11. swing — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rash — hasty
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. can — a tin
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. shower — to wash
  24. can — to be able to

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