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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. current — happening now
  5. lean — to bend
  6. spell — letters
  7. cap — a lid
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. face — to confront
  10. stand — to bear
  11. spell — magic
  12. current — of water
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bound — obliged
  15. spell — a short time
  16. current — electric
  17. lean — thin
  18. vault — a safe
  19. face — part of the head
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bound — certain
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stand — on your feet

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