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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 · wax · dip · racket · vault · face · degree · toast

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. degree — an amount
  14. kick — in football
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. vault — a safe
  19. face — part of the head
  20. degree — from a university
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. degree — temperature
  23. racket — for tennis
  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