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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. face — to point toward
  5. chest — of your body
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. face — to confront
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chest — a box
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. snap — to click
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. face — part of the head
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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