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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: object · temple · snap · race · pitch · mate · leaves · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mate — a friend
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. object — to protest
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pitch — completely
  20. race — humankind
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. race — a contest
  24. temple — a place of worship

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