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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: foot · vault · game · fork · squash · plane · face · hide

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. game — wild animals
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fork — in a road
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. face — to confront
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. face — part of the head
  16. game — a match
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. foot — a measure
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — to crush
  24. hide — to keep secret

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