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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 120 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. vault — a safe
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mark — a trace
  8. face — part of the head
  9. march — the month
  10. shower — rain
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. face — to confront
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stock — goods
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. calf — of the leg

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