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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — crushed
  4. row — a line
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. season — in sport
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. cell — in biology
  14. vault — a safe
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. season — of the year
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ground — a position
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rock — to move gently

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