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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. vault — a safe
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. track — a path
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. track — a song
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. court — of law
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. content — the amount
  19. rush — hurry
  20. court — for sport
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. court — of a king
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. temple — a place of worship

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