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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: face · scale · wave · hand · vault · ball · chip · fan

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. hand — help
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hand — in cards
  9. scale — in music
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chip — for betting
  19. ball — a dance
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. vault — a safe

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