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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. club — a group
  3. rest — a break
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. can — to be able to
  6. vault — a safe
  7. can — a tin
  8. bank — for money
  9. club — for golf
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cold — an illness
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bank — for money
  19. rest — what's left
  20. club — for dancing
  21. cold — not warm
  22. can — a tin
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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