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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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 — a safe
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. staff — a stick
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. deal — to handle
  18. dip — to sink
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pit — a hole
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. hide — animal skin

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