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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. key — for a lock
  5. current — happening now
  6. cap — a hat
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. perch — the fish
  9. key — the most important part
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. clip — to cut
  13. current — of water
  14. cap — a lid
  15. current — electric
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. key — in music
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pit — a hole

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