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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 120 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
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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: temple · content · vault · spell · can · file · mate · lash

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. file — a tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mate — a partner
  9. vault — a safe
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. spell — magic
  12. file — a document
  13. spell — letters
  14. file — a line of people
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. content — the amount
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. temple — a place of worship

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