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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. ground — a position
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. face — to confront
  5. charge — a price
  6. mark — a trace
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. drill — army training
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. drill — a practice
  14. charge — in control
  15. mark — a grade
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. dip — to sink
  20. ground — the earth
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. drill — the tool

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