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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. staff — employees
  4. board — to get on
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. date — the fruit
  8. board — a committee
  9. spring — the season
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. spring — of water
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lean — thin
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spring — a coil
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. staff — a stick
  24. lean — to bend

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