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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. band — a ring
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. board — to get on
  13. mine — for digging
  14. face — to confront
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. face — to point toward
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. board — a committee
  21. face — part of the head
  22. plane — a tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. coach — a trainer

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