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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bear — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rock — a stone
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. face — part of the head
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. face — to point toward
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rash — a series
  20. rock — music
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bear — the animal
  24. prune — to trim

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