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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.

Make a worksheet

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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. capital — money
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. file — a document
  5. staff — a stick
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. firm — steady
  8. file — a tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. firm — a company
  11. staff — employees
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. vault — a safe
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. capital — a city
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. file — a line of people
  22. firm — decided
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. capital — a big letter

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