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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 · pit · vault · temple · spell · rush · track · pop

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. track — a path
  3. pop — music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. saw — the tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — soda
  9. track — a song
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — hurry
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spell — letters
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. saw — the tool
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pop — to visit

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