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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. season — of the year
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bound — certain
  6. spell — a short time
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. lie — to recline
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. file — a tool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. spell — letters
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — for golf
  17. season — in sport
  18. club — for dancing
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bound — obliged
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. spell — magic
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. club — a group

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