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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: fine · temple · cap · wound · vault · fork · safe · chest

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fine — all right
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fork — in a road
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chest — a box
  22. cap — a hat
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fine — high quality

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