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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. race — a contest
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. vault — a safe
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. race — humankind
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lean — to bend
  12. deal — to handle
  13. net — in sport
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. net — for catching
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. net — after costs
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. race — the arms race
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. deal — a big deal

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