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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ground — the earth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ground — crushed
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. ground — a position
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. patient — a sick person

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