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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ground — the earth
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. sharp — clever
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mark — a trace
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mark — a grade
  19. ground — a position
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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