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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · bat · face · cue · bass · perch · vault · bulb

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cue — a hint
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bass — low music
  10. bat — the animal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cue — a signal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. hand — help
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. vault — a safe

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