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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. face — part of the head
  3. vault — a safe
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. face — to confront
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. face — to point toward
  12. net — after costs
  13. fine — all right
  14. cap — a hat
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fine — high quality
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. net — for catching
  20. bark — to shout
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. squash — the sport

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