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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. drill — army training
  9. branch — a division
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ground — a position
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bat — for baseball

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