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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — certain
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — for light
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. craft — boats
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. vault — a safe
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bound — tied together
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. hand — in cards
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hand — help
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. craft — a skill

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