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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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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: mine · trunk · dip · temple · content · vault · nail · pop

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. content — the amount
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mine — for digging
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. content — happy
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pop — music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. vault — a safe
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. temple — side of the head

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