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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ground — crushed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. shower — to wash
  9. craft — a skill
  10. shower — rain
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ground — the earth
  17. stock — shares
  18. face — to confront
  19. craft — boats
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. ground — a position
  24. face — part of the head

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