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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 120 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: straw · plane · ground · tube · face · rule · mark · vault

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ground — crushed
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. ground — the earth
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rule — government
  18. tube — the underground
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rule — a law
  22. vault — a safe
  23. tube — a container
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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