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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: jam · temple · face · straw · scale · leaves · vault · fall

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fall — to drop
  3. face — to confront
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fall — the season
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. vault — a safe
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. scale — in music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. face — part of the head
  24. jam — a tight spot

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