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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: bound · vault · temple · wax · object · fine · mug · land

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mug — a face
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bound — certain
  7. wax — to grow
  8. object — a thing
  9. vault — a safe
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mug — to rob
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. bound — obliged
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. land — a country
  24. mug — a cup

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