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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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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: wind · pit · vault · fine · temple · safe · plane · key

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pit — a hole
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wind — moving air
  8. key — for a lock
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. key — in music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pit — in a race
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fine — high quality
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. vault — a safe
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fine — all right
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. safe — out of danger

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