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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pit — a hole
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pit — in a race
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. chest — a box
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. drill — a practice

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