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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — a break
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. vault — a safe
  11. file — a line of people
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. dip — to sink
  16. file — a tool
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. file — a document
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitch — completely

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