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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. staff — a stick
  3. land — to come down
  4. roll — a list
  5. tear — from crying
  6. staff — employees
  7. vault — a safe
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. staff — employees
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. land — ground
  13. roll — a cake
  14. tear — to rip
  15. root — the cause
  16. pass — a permit
  17. root — of a plant
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. land — a country
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. root — of a word
  23. tear — from crying
  24. temple — a place of worship

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