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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mate — a partner
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. press — a publisher
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. press — to push
  18. pound — a weight
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. press — newspapers

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