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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mug — a cup
  4. plane — a tool
  5. chest — a box
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — goods
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rest — a break
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stock — shares
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mug — a face
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chest — of your body
  18. season — of the year
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chest — of your body
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rest — what's left
  23. face — part of the head
  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