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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wind — moving air
  7. spell — magic
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spell — letters
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bass — the fish
  19. spell — a short time
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rest — a break
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. temple — side of the head

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