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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. face — part of the head
  4. club — a group
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. club — for dancing
  7. clip — a video
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bear — the animal
  10. face — to point toward
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bear — the animal
  13. clip — for paper
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. root — the cause
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. root — of a word
  23. clip — to cut
  24. club — for golf

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