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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chest · mark · spring · dip · lie · face · sharp · vault

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lie — to recline
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. dip — to sink
  5. spring — the season
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chest — a box
  8. sharp — clever
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mark — a trace
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. spring — of water
  14. vault — a safe
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chest — of your body
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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