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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: vault · kid · tear · cap · deal · ground · temple · patient

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cap — a lid
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ground — the earth
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cap — of ice
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cap — a hat
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. tear — from crying
  18. kid — child
  19. tear — to rip
  20. kid — to tease
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. tear — from crying
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ground — a position

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