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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mug — a face
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. field — for sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. field — a subject
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mug — a cup
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bass — the fish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bass — low music
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — a permit

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