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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. vault — a safe
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — to confront
  8. land — ground
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. land — a country
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. land — to come down
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — to point toward
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. snap — to click

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