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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. clip — a video
  6. capital — money
  7. root — the cause
  8. capital — a city
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lean — to bend
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. root — of a word
  18. board — a committee
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — to get on
  21. lean — thin
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. clip — for paper
  24. vault — a safe

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