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

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. vault — a safe
  4. file — a tool
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. plane — a tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. file — a document
  15. bound — certain
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cell — in biology
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bound — tied together
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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