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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. face — to confront
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. degree — from a university
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. degree — temperature
  13. face — to point toward
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — a position
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. face — part of the head
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pound — a weight
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bank — of a river

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