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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. vault — a safe
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chest — a box
  9. charge — in control
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. file — a line of people
  12. face — to confront
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. file — a tool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. file — a document
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ruler — a monarch

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