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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 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. face — to point toward
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. suit — to fit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. drill — the tool
  8. vault — a safe
  9. present — there
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. face — part of the head
  12. suit — clothes
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. face — to confront
  15. present — the time now
  16. suit — in cards
  17. saw — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. kick — in football
  21. present — a gift
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. drill — army training

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