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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: saw · vault · safe · clip · present · land · temple · foot

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. vault — a safe
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. clip — for paper
  5. foot — a measure
  6. land — to come down
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. saw — the tool
  10. clip — a video
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. land — a country
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. present — a gift
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. clip — to cut
  23. land — ground
  24. present — there

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