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

Word bank: chip · vault · hide · safe · club · capital · snap · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chip — for betting
  5. club — a group
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — a safe
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. capital — money
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. capital — a city
  16. snap — to click
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chip — to eat
  22. club — for golf
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. club — for dancing

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