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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mate — a partner
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to confront
  6. band — a music group
  7. present — there
  8. mate — a friend
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. band — a ring
  14. mate — to breed
  15. present — a gift
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. game — a match
  20. branch — a division
  21. vault — a safe
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rock — a stone

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