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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · can · vault · pass · ground · land · cabinet · wake

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pass — a permit
  6. vault — a safe
  7. land — ground
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. can — a tin
  11. land — a country
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — to come down
  16. ground — a position
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. can — to be able to
  23. ground — the earth
  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