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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ground — crushed
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. swing — music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. firm — a company
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — a stone
  10. vault — a safe
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ground — the earth
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. firm — steady
  17. swing — in golf
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. tear — to rip
  21. ground — a position
  22. tear — from crying
  23. swing — to play on
  24. firm — decided

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