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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: temple · land · wake · vault · hand · pitch · foot · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — a trail
  4. land — to come down
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hand — help
  11. land — ground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. land — a country
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pitch — completely
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. hand — in cards

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