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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cell — a phone
  4. track — a path
  5. wind — moving air
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mark — a grade
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. track — a song
  22. wind — moving air
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cell — in biology

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