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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mine — for digging
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. plane — a tool
  11. club — for dancing
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. face — to confront
  15. degree — temperature
  16. dip — to sink
  17. club — for golf
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. club — a group
  21. vault — a safe
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stand — on your feet

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