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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. face — part of the head
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. root — of a word
  7. ground — the earth
  8. root — the cause
  9. face — to point toward
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. vault — a safe
  17. face — to confront
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. swing — in golf
  23. craft — boats
  24. clip — for paper

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