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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mate — a friend
  8. club — for golf
  9. spell — magic
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. club — a group
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. row — a line
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. club — for dancing
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mate — to breed
  24. temple — side of the head

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