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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. net — in sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. root — of a plant
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. root — the cause
  12. net — after costs
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cell — a phone
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cell — in biology
  20. net — for catching
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. root — of a word
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. vault — a safe

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