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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bark — to shout
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mate — to breed
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. capital — a city
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. date — the fruit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mate — a partner
  24. capital — money

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