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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bass — the fish
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pound — a weight
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. squash — to crush
  15. vault — a safe
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bass — low music
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pound — to hit hard

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