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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · vault · root · pitcher · coach · spring · kick · bore

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. root — of a word
  3. kick — in football
  4. face — to point toward
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. root — the cause
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spring — the season
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. vault — a safe
  21. face — to confront
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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