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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. race — a contest
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. march — the month
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. race — humankind
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pit — a hole
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. race — the arms race
  20. vault — a safe
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. pit — in a race
  23. branch — of a bank
  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