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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.

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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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. craft — boats
  4. object — a thing
  5. track — a song
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. object — to protest
  10. track — to keep track
  11. vault — a safe
  12. object — an aim
  13. track — a path
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wax — for sculpting

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