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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: roll · chair · staff · vault · rest · fine · deal · face

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fine — all right
  4. face — to confront
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rest — a break
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. roll — a list
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fine — high quality
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chair — a leader
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. deal — to handle

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