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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. charge — electricity
  3. face — to confront
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — to point toward
  7. charge — a price
  8. degree — temperature
  9. face — part of the head
  10. degree — from a university
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. plane — a tool
  13. track — to keep track
  14. vault — a safe
  15. charge — in control
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. track — a path
  23. degree — an amount
  24. foot — the bottom

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