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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. current — happening now
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. roll — a cake
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. face — part of the head
  10. current — of water
  11. face — to point toward
  12. content — the amount
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. face — to confront
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. vault — a safe
  19. content — happy
  20. current — electric
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. stem — to come from
  24. roll — a list

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