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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. can — to be able to
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. club — for dancing
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. club — a group
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cold — not warm
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. club — for golf
  16. vault — a safe
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. can — a tin
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cold — an illness
  23. firm — steady
  24. cold — the Cold War

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