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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.

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: vault · lie · bulb · face · race · mate · mug · spell

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mug — a cup
  5. vault — a safe
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — letters
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bulb — for light
  10. race — humankind
  11. spell — magic
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mug — to rob
  14. face — part of the head
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mug — a face
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. race — a contest
  23. spell — a short time
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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