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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wound — an injury
  3. club — a group
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pass — a permit
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. club — for golf
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. nail — on a finger

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