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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: rock · mine · cell · temple · file · perch · vault · charge

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. charge — in control
  5. rock — music
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rock — a stone
  13. file — a document
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — a price
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. perch — the fish
  21. vault — a safe
  22. charge — electricity
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. file — a tool

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