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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: saw · wake · cap · vault · bound · net · pass · temple

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. net — after costs
  4. saw — the tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cap — of ice
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wake — a trail
  21. net — for catching
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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