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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: face · cap · board · calf · bat · degree · vault · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cap — a lid
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. vault — a safe
  19. board — a committee
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bear — the animal
  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