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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. race — the arms race
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. race — humankind
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. race — a contest
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bark — to shout
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mate — a friend

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