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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mark — a grade
  4. last — finally
  5. toast — bread
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. vault — a safe
  8. last — to go on
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pop — soda
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. last — final
  20. roll — a list
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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