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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 120 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
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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: kick · bear · spring · face · cap · march · ball · vault

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. march — the month
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. spring — the season
  12. bear — the animal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. face — to point toward
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. ball — a dance
  18. face — to confront
  19. ball — a great time
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spring — of water
  23. march — the month
  24. cap — of ice

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