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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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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: hide · mark · race · bark · mouse · face · fan · vault

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. face — to confront
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — a safe
  12. race — humankind
  13. bark — to shout
  14. race — a contest
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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