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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: bass · last · cap · vault · bore · cold · temple · ground

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. ground — a position
  8. last — finally
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bass — low music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. last — final
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bass — the fish
  20. vault — a safe
  21. last — to go on
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. temple — a place of worship

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