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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. object — to protest
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. field — a subject
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. branch — a division

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