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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. face — to point toward
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — for dancing
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. club — for golf
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rest — what's left
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lie — to recline
  21. face — part of the head
  22. date — the fruit
  23. face — to confront
  24. club — a group

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