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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. game — a match
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. shower — rain
  18. game — wild animals
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pound — a weight
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. face — part of the head

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