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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ground — crushed
  5. club — for golf
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lie — to recline
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — a group
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. vault — a safe
  19. board — to get on
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ground — a position
  23. club — for dancing
  24. board — a committee

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