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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 120 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chip — for betting
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. hide — animal skin

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