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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.

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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: vault · mate · leaves · fan · march · dip · temple · pass

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. vault — a safe
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mate — a friend
  8. dip — to sink
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. march — the month
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mate — a partner
  20. march — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fan — a supporter

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