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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. suit — in cards
  8. face — to point toward
  9. track — a path
  10. bore — to tire
  11. suit — clothes
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. suit — to fit
  17. track — a song
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — to drill
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lash — to lash out

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