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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 120 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spell — letters
  4. clip — a video
  5. swing — music
  6. bound — obliged
  7. clip — to cut
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bound — certain
  13. clip — for paper
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bound — tied together
  16. spell — magic
  17. lean — to bend
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. vault — a safe
  24. spell — a short time

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