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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. craft — boats
  5. face — to confront
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chest — of your body
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. toast — bread
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chest — a box
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — to eat
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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