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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. land — a country
  3. object — an aim
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. face — part of the head
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. face — to point toward
  12. branch — a division
  13. object — to protest
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. land — to come down
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. land — ground
  22. toast — bread
  23. face — to confront
  24. toast — the most admired

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