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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. vault — a safe
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. face — to confront
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mark — a grade
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lie — to recline
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pass — a permit
  20. field — a subject
  21. rock — music
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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