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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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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: hide · cap · mine · temple · vault · pound · mouse · game

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cap — a lid
  6. game — a match
  7. cap — a hat
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pound — a weight
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mine — for digging
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. game — a kind of play

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