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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mine — for digging
  3. race — the arms race
  4. hand — in cards
  5. face — to point toward
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. hand — help
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. race — humankind
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pound — a weight
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. race — a contest
  15. face — to confront
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. object — to protest
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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