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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: mate · plane · chip · bulb · pass · temple · pound · vault

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mate — to breed
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. chip — for betting
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. vault — a safe
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chip — to eat
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chip — in a computer

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