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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cap — a hat
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. dip — to sink
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pop — music
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pop — soda
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wave — with your hand

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