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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. foot — a measure
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pitch — completely
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. game — wild animals
  10. tear — from crying
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. tear — to rip
  20. face — part of the head
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tear — from crying
  24. current — happening now

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