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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cap — of ice
  6. vault — a safe
  7. swing — music
  8. cap — a lid
  9. land — to come down
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bear — the animal
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. kick — in football
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cap — a hat
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. swing — in golf
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. land — a country
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. land — ground

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