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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. field — a subject
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. fine — high quality
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pit — in a race
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pit — a hole
  24. temple — a place of worship

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