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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. face — to point toward
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — to confront
  13. scale — in music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mark — a trace
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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