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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 · kick · lie · bulb · net · game · content · vault

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. net — for catching
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. vault — a safe
  9. content — the amount
  10. face — to confront
  11. lie — to recline
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. content — happy
  20. game — a match
  21. kick — in football
  22. net — in sport
  23. game — wild animals
  24. net — after costs

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