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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pitch — completely
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — obliged
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bound — certain
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bound — tied together
  21. current — of water
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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