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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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Word bank
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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: toast · vault · spring · charge · temple · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. toast — bread
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spring — of water
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spring — a coil
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. vault — a safe
  9. foot — a measure
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. charge — a price
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. spring — the season
  18. foot — part of the body

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