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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — the earth
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. can — a tin
  9. file — a document
  10. bound — obliged
  11. file — a line of people
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bound — tied together
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. roll — a list
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bound — certain
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. roll — a cake
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. file — a tool
  24. temple — side of the head

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