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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. file — a document
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bank — for money
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cue — a signal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pitch — completely
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. file — a tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. deal — to handle
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bank — of a river
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. file — a line of people

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