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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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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: wind · vault · cabinet · staff · rule · bay · temple · rush

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. staff — employees
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rule — government
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rush — hurry
  22. staff — employees
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. vault — a safe

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