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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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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: cue · lie · mate · temple · current · vault · drill · fine

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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 — a partner
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fine — all right
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — electric
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. drill — the tool
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. drill — army training
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — a friend
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mate — to breed
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. vault — a safe
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fine — high quality
  23. current — happening now
  24. cue — a signal

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