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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — to recline
  5. face — to confront
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. face — part of the head
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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