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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. craft — boats
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pop — soda
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. craft — a skill
  11. face — part of the head
  12. vault — a safe
  13. toast — bread
  14. face — to point toward
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. branch — a division
  19. face — to confront
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. nail — on a finger

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