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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. band — a ring
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. band — a music group
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. vault — a safe
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. file — a line of people
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. race — the arms race
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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