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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. tube — a container
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — a hat
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mark — a trace
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fall — to drop
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cap — a lid
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fall — the season
  20. face — to point toward
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mark — a grade
  23. toast — bread
  24. cap — of ice

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