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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. club — a group
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. club — for golf
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bark — to shout
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. club — for dancing
  16. current — electric
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lean — thin
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bat — the animal
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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