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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mate — to breed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mate — a partner
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. firm — steady
  10. mate — a friend
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. firm — a company
  18. spell — a short time
  19. craft — a skill
  20. firm — decided
  21. spell — magic
  22. craft — boats
  23. spell — letters
  24. sharp — with an edge

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