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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. firm — steady
  5. race — humankind
  6. firm — a company
  7. rash — hasty
  8. vault — a safe
  9. race — a contest
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rash — a series
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cell — in biology
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. race — the arms race
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. firm — decided

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