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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 120 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: bear · pit · temple · march · lean · capital · mate · vault

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lean — thin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. march — the month
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. capital — a city
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. capital — money
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. march — music
  18. lean — to bend
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mate — a friend
  22. march — the month
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — a hole

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