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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. field — farmland
  5. charge — a price
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. field — a subject
  10. face — to confront
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — electricity
  17. face — to point toward
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. vault — a safe
  20. craft — boats
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. charge — in control
  23. field — for sport
  24. bore — to tire

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