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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rash — hasty
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chest — of your body
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tear — to rip
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tear — from crying
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. vault — a safe
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. sharp — clever
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rash — a series
  24. hide — animal skin

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