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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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Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. rest — a break
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lean — thin
  5. mark — a trace
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lean — to bend
  10. saw — the tool
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cold — not warm
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. squash — the sport
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mark — a grade
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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