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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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