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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rash — a series
  4. face — to confront
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — a container
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rash — hasty
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cold — an illness
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tube — the underground
  19. toast — bread
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. snap — to click
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. face — to point toward

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