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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: vault · bay · chair · pound · rock · face · key · bass

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. face — part of the head
  6. key — in music
  7. rock — music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. key — the most important part
  13. face — to confront
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bass — low music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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