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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — to point toward
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. face — to confront
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. court — of a king
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rash — hasty
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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