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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · vault · pitcher · ball · face · chair · season · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. face — to confront
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ball — a dance
  8. drill — army training
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. vault — a safe
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chest — a box
  17. drill — a practice
  18. season — in sport
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a great time
  23. season — of the year
  24. face — part of the head

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