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

Word bank: squash · rule · kick · pitch · face · vault

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pitch — completely
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. face — to confront
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kick — in football
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rule — a law
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rule — government
  17. squash — the sport
  18. face — to point toward

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