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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · wound · vault · temple · hide · fork · scale · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. vault — a safe
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — in a road
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mine — for digging
  11. season — of the year
  12. scale — in music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. season — in sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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