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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: pit · stick · drill · charge · sharp · vault · root · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. charge — electricity
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. face — to confront
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. drill — army training
  7. pit — a hole
  8. sharp — clever
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. drill — a practice
  14. root — the cause
  15. charge — a price
  16. pit — in a race
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. drill — the tool
  19. vault — a safe
  20. charge — in control
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. sharp — exactly

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