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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.

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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: track · board · face · rock · wound · vault · coach · race

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. face — to confront
  3. rock — music
  4. board — to get on
  5. track — a path
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wound — an injury
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. board — a committee
  13. rock — a stone
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. race — a contest
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. race — humankind
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. track — a song
  21. wound — an injury
  22. race — the arms race
  23. track — to keep track
  24. vault — a safe

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