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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cap — a hat
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. file — a document
  10. pitch — completely
  11. roll — a list
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. roll — a cake
  17. file — a tool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. file — a line of people
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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