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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cue — a hint
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. face — part of the head
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. vault — a safe
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. perch — the fish
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — a song
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cue — a signal
  18. face — to confront
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. land — a country
  21. cue — for pool
  22. land — ground
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. land — to come down

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