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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cue — a hint
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cue — for pool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. vault — a safe
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. race — humankind
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bark — to shout
  13. race — a contest
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cue — a signal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. saw — the tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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