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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: current · rule · cell · vault · kick · temple

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. current — happening now
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cell — in biology
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. vault — a safe
  18. current — of water

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