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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rash — hasty
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. face — to point toward
  5. net — in sport
  6. game — a match
  7. bank — for money
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. bank — of a river
  13. dip — to sink
  14. face — part of the head
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bank — for money
  17. rash — a series
  18. rest — what's left
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. game — wild animals
  24. face — to confront

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