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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: row · toast · mouse · face · pit · vault · mate · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. face — to confront
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. face — part of the head
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. toast — bread
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mate — a friend
  14. row — a line
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. spell — magic
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mate — to breed
  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