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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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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 · pit · face · charge · safe · ball · pitcher · arm

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. charge — a price
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. charge — in control
  9. pit — a hole
  10. vault — a safe
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ball — a dance
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. charge — electricity
  21. face — to point toward
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pit — in a race

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