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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. rest — a break
  3. hand — help
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. court — for sport
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. field — a subject
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  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