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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. spring — a coil
  5. chair — a leader
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rest — what's left
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rest — a break
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spring — of water
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. spring — the season
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. vault — a safe
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. face — to confront

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