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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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Word bank
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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: object · vault · pit · march · rash · ruler · date · face

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. march — the month
  4. object — an aim
  5. march — the month
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. date — the fruit
  9. face — to confront
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. march — music
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. face — part of the head
  21. object — a thing
  22. face — to point toward
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. object — to protest

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