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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: key · dip · roll · face · vault · track · field · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. face — to point toward
  4. dip — to sink
  5. last — to go on
  6. face — part of the head
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. track — a song
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. roll — a list
  12. track — a path
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. last — final
  18. face — to confront
  19. vault — a safe
  20. track — to keep track
  21. roll — a cake
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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