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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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468
Word bank
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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. kid — to tease
  5. face — to confront
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. charge — in control
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bass — low music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. charge — a price
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. kid — child

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