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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. file — a document
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. spring — of water
  4. file — a tool
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. roll — a cake
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spring — the season
  10. lie — to recline
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. capital — a city
  23. roll — a list
  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