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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 116 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 · hide · vault · ball · present · wake · bore · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bore — to tire
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wind — moving air
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wind — moving air
  13. vault — a safe
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. present — there
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wake — a trail

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