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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.

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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: wound · vault · present · temple · snap · mug · mate · fine

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wound — an injury
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. snap — to click
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mug — a face
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fine — high quality
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. mug — to rob
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fine — all right
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mate — a friend
  20. present — the time now
  21. wound — an injury
  22. vault — a safe
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mate — to breed

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