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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spell — letters
  4. face — part of the head
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to point toward
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spell — a short time
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. file — a document
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. spell — magic
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chip — for betting
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. snap — to click
  23. face — to confront
  24. cabinet — ministers

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