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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. mark — a grade
  10. vault — a safe
  11. drill — army training
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a dance
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. face — to point toward
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cell — in biology
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. face — to confront
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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