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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.

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 — in gymnastics
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. vault — a safe
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cap — a lid
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cap — a hat
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm

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