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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mark — a trace
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bank — for money
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pit — in a race
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. squash — to crush
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bank — for money
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mark — a grade

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