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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: vault · staff · temple · bear · saw · mug · wound · file

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wound — an injury
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bear — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mug — a cup
  11. file — a tool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mug — a face
  14. staff — a stick
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mug — to rob
  21. file — a line of people
  22. saw — the tool
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. staff — employees

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