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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: club · plane · vault · mate · pop · stick · temple · mark

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pop — to visit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pop — music
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mark — a grade
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mate — a friend
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mark — a trace
  19. vault — a safe
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pop — soda
  22. club — for golf
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. plane — in geometry

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