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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 120 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 · vault · chest · fine · club · bat · current · fall

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. club — for dancing
  5. current — of water
  6. fall — to drop
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bat — the animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fine — all right
  13. chest — a box
  14. face — to confront
  15. current — happening now
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. fall — the season
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fine — high quality

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