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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. face — to confront
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pitch — completely
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spring — the season
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. spring — of water

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