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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 120 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: trunk · fall · face · ruler · vault · sharp · cold · deal

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. face — part of the head
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cold — an illness
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fall — to drop
  11. face — to confront
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cold — not warm
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. sharp — clever
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — the season

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