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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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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: hand · temple · clip · bay · vault · nail · cabinet · date

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. clip — to cut
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. date — the fruit
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. hand — in cards
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. clip — a video
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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