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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bear — the animal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. face — to confront
  9. pound — a weight
  10. firm — decided
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chest — of your body
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. vault — a safe
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rash — a series
  21. firm — steady
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your 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