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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. present — there
  4. vault — a safe
  5. present — a gift
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. present — the time now
  8. fall — to drop
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to confront
  12. rash — hasty
  13. track — a song
  14. fall — to drop
  15. track — to keep track
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. face — to point toward
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fall — the season
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rash — a series
  24. track — a path

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