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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: key · bat · mate · face · vault · cabinet · temple · stick

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. key — in music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mate — a partner
  11. vault — a safe
  12. key — for a lock
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. face — to confront

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