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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitch — completely
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. perch — the fish
  11. vault — a safe
  12. board — a committee
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — to get on
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — to point toward
  24. temple — side of the head

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