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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. object — a thing
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. chest — a box
  10. rest — a break
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. court — for sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. vault — a safe
  18. object — an aim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. object — to protest
  24. chest — of your body

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