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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. face — part of the head
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. land — to come down
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cell — in biology
  15. land — a country
  16. stand — to bear
  17. land — ground
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tube — a container
  21. chip — to eat
  22. vault — a safe
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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