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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · rest · pass · row · snap · face · ground · kid

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. row — a line
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rest — a break
  6. face — to point toward
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kid — child
  11. ground — the earth
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. row — to paddle
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ground — a position
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pass — a permit
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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