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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. face — part of the head
  4. scale — size or range
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. land — a country
  7. face — to point toward
  8. land — ground
  9. bore — to drill
  10. face — to confront
  11. key — for a lock
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. can — a tin
  14. bore — to tire
  15. scale — in music
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. can — a tin
  18. key — in music
  19. land — to come down
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. key — the most important part
  22. can — to be able to
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bore — gave birth

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