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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — to drop
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. row — a line
  9. roll — a cake
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. roll — a list
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fan — a supporter

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