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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 120 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: mouse · fan · court · pit · face · kick · lean · vault

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pit — in a race
  3. kick — in football
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lean — thin
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. face — to confront
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. court — of law
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. vault — a safe
  21. court — of a king
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lean — to rest against

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