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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — of water
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cell — a phone
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — happening now
  15. face — part of the head
  16. current — electric
  17. cell — in biology
  18. vault — a safe
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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