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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. press — a publisher
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. game — wild animals
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. press — to push
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. game — a match
  16. vault — a safe
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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