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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. suit — in cards
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bat — the animal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mine — for digging
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. foot — a measure
  24. temple — a place of worship

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