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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pound — a weight
  3. ball — a dance
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. vault — a safe
  12. key — in music
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wake — a trail
  18. face — part of the head
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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