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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fork — in a road
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. current — happening now
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mate — a partner
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mate — to breed
  15. current — of water
  16. wound — an injury
  17. key — the most important part
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. current — electric
  20. key — for a lock
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. key — in music
  24. band — a rubber band

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