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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. spell — a short time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bat — the animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. court — of a king
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lean — thin
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. court — for sport

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