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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mark — a trace
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. cue — a hint
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chest — a box
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. present — the time now
  13. chest — of your body
  14. face — to confront
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cue — a signal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cue — for pool
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. stock — goods

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