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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. track — a song
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. track — a path
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. vault — a safe
  11. suit — clothes
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chest — a box
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mate — to breed
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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