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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 met the new head ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. vault — a safe
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pop — music
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pop — soda
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. degree — temperature
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pop — to visit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. degree — from a university

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