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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fall — the season
  3. band — a music group
  4. pop — music
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. hand — help
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mate — to breed
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fall — to drop
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mate — a friend
  16. face — to confront
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pop — soda
  23. band — a ring
  24. mate — a partner

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