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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. vault — a safe
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — to cut
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bulb — for light
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. clip — for paper
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. clip — a video
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. swing — to play on
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. jam — a tight spot

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