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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. foot — a measure
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. band — a ring
  9. swing — in golf
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. swing — to play on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fall — the season
  15. swing — music
  16. stem — to come from
  17. face — to confront
  18. vault — a safe
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. band — a music group
  22. fall — to drop
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stem — of a plant

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