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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. land — a country
  4. hand — in cards
  5. land — to come down
  6. bank — of a river
  7. land — ground
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bank — for money
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — for money
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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