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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cold — not warm
  10. game — wild animals
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. press — newspapers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. vault — a safe
  15. scale — in music
  16. game — a match
  17. cold — an illness
  18. scale — size or range
  19. press — to push
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. squash — to crush
  22. press — a publisher
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bore — to tire

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