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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: board · straw · prune · vault · safe · mouse · face · pound

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pound — a weight
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. board — a committee
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — to get on
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. face — part of the head
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. prune — to trim

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