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

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. face — to confront
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mine — for digging
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mug — a face
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. kick — in football
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mug — to rob
  18. vault — a safe
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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