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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lean — thin
  3. vault — a safe
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mate — to breed
  20. face — to confront
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mate — a friend
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. straw — a straw man

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