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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. saw — the tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mate — a friend
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wake — a trail
  8. present — a gift
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — to breed
  11. face — to point toward
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. present — there
  19. face — to confront
  20. present — the time now
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mate — a partner
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pitch — a sports field

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