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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. staff — employees
  3. squash — the sport
  4. present — a gift
  5. spring — the season
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. present — there
  11. spring — a coil
  12. staff — employees
  13. spring — of water
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bass — low music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. squash — to crush
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bass — the fish
  24. face — to point toward

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