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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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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: jam · lean · face · file · vault · pound · bay · date

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. face — part of the head
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. file — a document
  12. vault — a safe
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. face — to confront
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. file — a tool
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. face — to point toward

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