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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: cap · fork · bank · content · key · vault · temple · plane

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bank — for money
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. vault — a safe
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cap — a hat
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. content — happy
  15. key — in music
  16. bank — for money
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fork — in a road
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cap — a lid
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fork — a garden tool

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