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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: mouse · bear · sharp · scale · vault · court · face · rush

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. court — of law
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. court — for sport
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — of a king
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. vault — a safe
  24. scale — in music

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