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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: straw · vault · stick · kick · board · pass · face · root

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. board — a committee
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. board — to get on
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. face — to confront
  12. vault — a safe
  13. kick — in football
  14. pass — a permit
  15. root — of a word
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. root — the cause
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. face — to point toward
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. root — of a plant

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