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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. vault — a safe
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rest — a break
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wound — an injury
  9. can — a tin
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. firm — decided
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. dip — to sink
  17. face — part of the head
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wound — an injury
  22. can — to be able to
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rest — what's left

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