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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: spring · vault · bass · charge · pass · foot · pop · face

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. face — to confront
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. face — part of the head
  6. spring — the season
  7. pop — music
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. charge — in control
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. charge — a price
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bass — low music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pass — a permit
  20. spring — of water
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pop — soda
  23. vault — a safe
  24. face — to point toward

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