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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. face — part of the head
  3. content — happy
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. face — to confront
  6. craft — boats
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. shower — rain
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. object — a thing
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. object — an aim
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. craft — a skill
  22. content — the amount
  23. object — to protest
  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