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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · roll · temple · present · mark · file · vault · mine

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mark — a trace
  6. file — a document
  7. present — a gift
  8. mine — for digging
  9. file — a tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a grade
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. present — there
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. file — a line of people
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bulb — of a plant

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