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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cap — a hat
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cap — of ice
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cap — a lid
  16. vault — a safe
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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