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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: squash · plane · face · vault · bear · court · cold · current

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. face — to point toward
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bear — the animal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. current — of water
  8. cold — an illness
  9. court — of a king
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cold — not warm
  15. court — of law
  16. face — part of the head
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. vault — a safe
  19. face — to confront
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. squash — to crush

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