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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pitch — completely
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fall — the season
  15. mug — a face
  16. face — to confront
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fall — to drop
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — in music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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