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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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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: deal · bore · swing · dip · wave · face · vault · pit

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. vault — a safe
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bore — to tire
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. face — part of the head
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pit — a hole
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bore — to drill
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. swing — music
  23. face — to confront
  24. wave — of the sea

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