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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mate — a friend
  6. spell — a short time
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. mate — to breed
  12. foot — a measure
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. board — to get on
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spell — magic
  21. court — for sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. board — a committee
  24. foot — part of the body

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