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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. hand — help
  6. game — wild animals
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pit — a hole
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. dip — to sink
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — a match
  18. pit — in a race
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. dip — to dunk

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