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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fine — all right
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. face — to confront
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. roll — a list
  24. cue — a signal

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