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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chest — a box
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. face — part of the head
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. shower — rain
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stand — to bear
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chest — of your body
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. shower — to wash
  24. branch — a division

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