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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: kick · bowl · vault · capital · swing · face · jam · trunk

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. vault — a safe
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. kick — in football
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. face — to confront
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. swing — to play on
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. face — to point toward
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. capital — a city

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