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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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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: fine · trunk · hand · spell · vault · jam · temple · staff

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. hand — in cards
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spell — a short time
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fine — high quality
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fine — all right
  11. staff — a stick
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. staff — employees
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. spell — magic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hand — help
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. spell — letters
  22. staff — employees
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fine — a penalty

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