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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. face — part of the head
  3. land — a country
  4. face — to confront
  5. land — to come down
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. toast — bread
  11. swing — in golf
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. land — ground
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stock — shares
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stock — goods
  19. face — to point toward
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. swing — music

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