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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. spell — magic
  3. rush — hurry
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spell — letters
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. firm — steady
  9. vault — a safe
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. net — for catching
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. face — to confront
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spell — a short time
  18. net — after costs
  19. firm — a company
  20. net — in sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cue — a hint
  24. face — part of the head

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