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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — for betting
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fall — the season
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fall — to drop
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chip — to eat

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