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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. root — of a plant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. root — the cause
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cue — a hint
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. root — of a word
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cue — for pool

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