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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 blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. drill — a practice
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. key — the most important part
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. key — for a lock
  14. chest — of your body
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. drill — army training
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mine — for digging
  24. key — in music

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