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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. court — of law
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rash — a series
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rash — hasty
  10. root — the cause
  11. court — for sport
  12. root — of a plant
  13. court — of a king
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. root — of a word
  17. deal — to handle
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. hand — help
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rash — on the skin

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