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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stock — shares
  7. foot — a measure
  8. vault — a safe
  9. face — to confront
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. deal — to handle
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. face — to point toward
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stock — goods
  22. face — part of the head
  23. saw — the tool
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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