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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. face — to confront
  4. vault — a safe
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. current — electric
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. season — of the year
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. current — happening now
  15. face — to point toward
  16. current — of water
  17. wind — moving air
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. season — in sport
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bat — the animal

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