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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: cabinet · ground · nail · temple · vault · bound · wave · fall

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bound — tied together
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fall — the season
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — certain
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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