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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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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 · season · mark · kick · vault · suit · pitcher · bay

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. season — in sport
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mark — a grade
  14. suit — in cards
  15. face — part of the head
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. suit — clothes
  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