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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: cap · game · bay · face · kick · vault · mate · calf

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cap — a lid
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. face — part of the head
  11. kick — in football
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. game — a match
  15. vault — a safe
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. 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