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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · vault · firm · hide · field · net · temple · stick

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. net — in sport
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. net — for catching
  8. vault — a safe
  9. field — for sport
  10. drill — army training
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. net — after costs
  13. firm — steady
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. drill — a practice
  18. firm — a company
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. drill — the tool
  21. field — farmland
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. firm — decided

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