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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: track · temple · rest · file · fine · spring · saw · vault

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rest — a break
  4. track — to keep track
  5. spring — the season
  6. file — a tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rest — what's left
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — a path
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. file — a line of people
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. saw — the tool
  19. track — a song
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. file — a document
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fine — all right
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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