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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. game — a match
  3. spell — a short time
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. land — to come down
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — magic
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. vault — a safe
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rock — a stone
  16. land — a country
  17. rock — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — ground
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spell — letters
  24. game — wild animals

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