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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. prune — to trim
  5. face — part of the head
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. vault — a safe
  11. drill — the tool
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. kick — in football
  14. face — to point toward
  15. drill — army training
  16. mate — a partner
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. deal — to handle
  19. face — to confront
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mate — a friend

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