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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. vault — a safe
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bass — the fish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kick — in football
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mate — a friend
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bat — the animal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bass — low music

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