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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. march — music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. face — to confront
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. race — a contest
  23. vault — a safe
  24. fan — a supporter

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