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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.

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 · fall · spell · vault · saw · mine · board · capital

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. saw — the tool
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. board — a committee
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spell — letters
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — to get on
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spell — magic
  17. capital — a city
  18. saw — the tool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. capital — money
  22. fall — the season
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. board — a flat piece

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