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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: face · vault · fine · row · sharp · club · bulb · wind

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. club — a group
  3. face — part of the head
  4. club — for golf
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. row — a line
  7. fine — high quality
  8. face — to point toward
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. face — to confront
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bulb — for light
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — a safe
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fine — all right
  24. wind — moving air

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