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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: date · patient · vault · capital · kick · nail · bear · face

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. capital — a city
  3. face — to point toward
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. vault — a safe
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. date — the fruit
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. capital — money
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bear — the animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bear — the animal
  24. face — to confront

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