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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. firm — steady
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pop — soda
  7. firm — decided
  8. cap — a lid
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. vault — a safe
  15. firm — a company
  16. hand — help
  17. cap — a hat
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rest — a break
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rest — what's left
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pop — to visit

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