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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. face — part of the head
  3. suit — in cards
  4. band — a ring
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. staff — a stick
  9. suit — to fit
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ball — a dance
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pit — in a race
  15. vault — a safe
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. staff — employees
  24. face — to confront

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