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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. face — to confront
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pass — a permit
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mark — a trace
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chest — a box
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chest — of your body
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. face — part of the head
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mark — a grade

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