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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. face — to point toward
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. swing — to play on
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. face — to confront
  7. swing — in golf
  8. spring — a coil
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. swing — music
  11. charge — in control
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hand — help
  14. spring — of water
  15. hand — in cards
  16. spring — the season
  17. foot — a measure
  18. charge — a price
  19. vault — a safe
  20. face — part of the head
  21. prune — to trim
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. charge — electricity

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