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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. face — to confront
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. tube — the underground
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. tube — a container
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bat — the animal
  22. face — part of the head
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bass — the fish

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