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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. field — farmland
  3. vault — a safe
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. key — for a lock
  7. last — to go on
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. last — finally
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. snap — to click
  14. rock — music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. key — the most important part
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. field — for sport
  19. key — in music
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. last — final
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. field — a subject
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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