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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rock — music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. face — to confront
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. march — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. march — the month
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. face — to point toward

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