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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. march — the month
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. vault — a safe
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. bass — low music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. march — music
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. shower — to wash
  18. face — to confront
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. shower — rain
  22. face — part of the head
  23. march — the month
  24. ruler — for measuring

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