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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — to rob
  7. root — of a plant
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mug — a face
  10. stock — goods
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. root — of a word
  17. mug — a cup
  18. root — the cause
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stock — shares
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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