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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: face · toast · cell · fan · rest · plane · roll · vault

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. face — to confront
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rest — a break
  6. face — to point toward
  7. toast — bread
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. roll — a list
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cell — in biology
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. face — part of the head
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. plane — a tool
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rest — what's left

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