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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ball — a great time
  4. season — in sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stock — shares
  11. vault — a safe
  12. face — to point toward
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stock — goods
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bank — for money
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ground — crushed
  21. season — of the year
  22. ground — a position
  23. bank — for money
  24. foot — part of the body

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