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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: temple · vault · game · bore · spell · land · toast · fork

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. game — a match
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. game — wild animals
  6. land — ground
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. toast — bread
  9. fork — in a road
  10. land — to come down
  11. spell — letters
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bore — to drill
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. land — a country
  24. fork — to eat with

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