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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. date — the fruit
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. ground — crushed
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. vault — a safe
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. firm — steady
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. firm — decided
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. firm — a company

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