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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — of ice
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cap — a lid
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. suit — in cards
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. suit — clothes
  11. shower — rain
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. staff — employees
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cap — a hat
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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