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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 116 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. key — in music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bark — to shout
  6. vault — a safe
  7. club — for dancing
  8. key — the most important part
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. scale — in music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. perch — the fish
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. club — for golf
  16. face — to confront
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. club — a group
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. scale — size or range
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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