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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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Word bank
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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: chip · suit · cue · bulb · wound · vault · field · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. suit — clothes
  6. face — part of the head
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chip — for betting
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. face — to point toward
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. field — for sport
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. suit — in cards

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