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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kid — to tease
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bound — obliged
  6. object — to protest
  7. vault — a safe
  8. object — a thing
  9. bound — tied together
  10. object — an aim
  11. bound — certain
  12. kick — in football
  13. kid — child
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. rush — hurry
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rule — a law
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. face — to point toward
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rush — to hurry

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