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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. vault — a safe
  3. object — to protest
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. object — an aim
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. key — the most important part
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — in music
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rest — a break
  23. swing — in golf
  24. object — a thing

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