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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. court — of law
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. court — of a king
  18. spell — magic
  19. hand — help
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — for sport
  24. spell — letters

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