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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pass — a permit
  8. ground — a position
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. vault — a safe
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mark — a trace
  13. face — to confront
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. face — to point toward

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