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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ball — a dance
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cue — a hint
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. face — to confront
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. face — to point toward
  11. march — the month
  12. bass — the fish
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. march — the month
  17. fine — all right
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. march — music
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bass — low music

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