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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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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: bark · game · temple · cap · cabinet · vault · mate · wave

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. game — a match
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mate — a friend
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bark — to shout
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cabinet — ministers

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