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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: row · mark · face · bay · file · present · vault · snap

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. snap — to click
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mark — a grade
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. face — to point toward
  10. vault — a safe
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mark — a trace
  14. row — a line
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. present — the time now
  20. row — to paddle
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bay — a horse colour

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