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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 116 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: pass · pitch · face · craft · vault · snap · rash · lie

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. craft — boats
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. snap — to click
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pass — a permit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lie — to recline
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. face — to point toward
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to confront
  20. pitch — completely
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — a series

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