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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kick — in football
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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