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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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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: content · mine · vault · bay · band · temple · net · chair

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. net — after costs
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — happy
  12. band — a music group
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. band — a ring
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. content — the amount
  24. chair — to sit on

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