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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. shower — rain
  3. degree — from a university
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. face — to confront
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. shower — to wash
  12. dip — to sink
  13. suit — to fit
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. degree — temperature
  18. vault — a safe
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mine — for digging
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. degree — an amount

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