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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: present · cue · track · fine · leaves · calf · vault · temple

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fine — all right
  4. present — there
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. present — the time now
  7. fine — high quality
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. vault — a safe
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cue — a hint
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. present — a gift
  22. track — a path
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cue — a signal

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