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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · vault · file · rock · lean · face · board · sharp

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. board — a committee
  3. face — to confront
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pit — a hole
  7. face — to point toward
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. file — a tool
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lean — to bend
  14. sharp — clever
  15. file — a document
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rock — music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rock — a stone
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. board — to get on
  24. lean — thin

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