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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 120 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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fine — high quality
  5. race — a contest
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cap — a lid
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. race — humankind
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cap — a hat
  18. dip — to sink
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cap — of ice
  24. race — the arms race

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