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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: temple · last · trunk · hide · vault · fork · plane · toast

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. last — to go on
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. vault — a safe
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fork — in a road
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. toast — bread

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