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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. face — to confront
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. vault — a safe
  9. scale — size or range
  10. swing — music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. swing — to play on
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rush — hurry
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. scale — in music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. swing — in golf
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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