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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: present · vault · current · temple · kid · land · toast · board

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. present — the time now
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. kid — child
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. current — electric
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. present — there
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. land — a country
  18. kid — to tease
  19. current — of water
  20. present — a gift
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. vault — a safe
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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