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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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 — a safe
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rock — a stone
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — to push
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. tube — a container
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. staff — employees
  12. rock — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. spring — the season
  17. tube — the underground
  18. staff — a stick
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. spring — of water
  23. press — a publisher
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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