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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: hide · craft · pit · content · vault · scale · trunk · temple

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pit — in a race
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. content — happy
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. scale — in music
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — a safe
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. craft — boats
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. craft — a skill
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pit — a hole
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. temple — a place of worship

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