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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 120 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: face · wind · degree · vault · pitcher · bound · rest · wave

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bound — certain
  5. rest — a break
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bound — tied together
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. face — to confront
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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