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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. kick — in football
  4. face — to confront
  5. cue — a hint
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cue — a signal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bore — to drill
  18. kick — with a leg

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