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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: game · plane · fine · temple · mark · bay · content · vault

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. fine — high quality
  12. game — a match
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mark — a trace
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fine — all right
  17. mark — a grade
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. vault — a safe

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