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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mate — to breed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. race — a contest
  6. mate — a partner
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. race — the arms race
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. field — farmland
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. field — for sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. shower — rain
  18. field — a subject
  19. mate — a friend
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. race — humankind
  24. temple — side of the head

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