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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. deal — to handle
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. spring — of water
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. march — music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. spring — a coil
  18. clip — a video
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. march — the month
  22. spring — the season
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bat — the animal

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