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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: face · game · kick · stand · cabinet · bay · present · stick

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. game — a match
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. present — the time now
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. present — there
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. face — to point toward
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stand — to bear
  14. game — wild animals
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. present — a gift
  17. kick — in football
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. face — to confront
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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