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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: fall · deal · calf · sharp · vault · face · present · rule

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. present — there
  3. face — to confront
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rule — government
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. present — a gift
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. vault — a safe
  15. face — part of the head
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rule — a law
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. deal — to handle
  23. present — the time now
  24. calf — a young animal

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