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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ground — crushed
  4. face — to point toward
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — to confront
  8. ground — a position
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bound — tied together
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bound — certain
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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