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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. game — wild animals
  4. perch — the fish
  5. game — a match
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. face — to confront
  9. spring — the season
  10. pit — a hole
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. spring — of water
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pit — in a race
  20. face — to point toward
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. vault — a safe
  24. temple — side of the head

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