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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: last · vault · squash · face · nail · present · bound · jam

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. present — the time now
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. squash — the sport
  8. last — finally
  9. bound — obliged
  10. last — to go on
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. present — a gift
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. face — part of the head
  19. vault — a safe
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — final
  22. squash — to crush
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. present — there

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