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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cell — a phone
  3. object — an aim
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bulb — for light
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stand — to bear
  12. object — to protest
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. object — a thing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — of ice
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cell — in biology

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