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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: bat · temple · staff · sharp · vault · pitcher · face · net

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. face — to point toward
  3. staff — a stick
  4. face — to confront
  5. net — in sport
  6. sharp — clever
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bat — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. staff — employees
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. net — after costs
  18. staff — employees
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. face — part of the head

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