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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: temple · chair · rock · present · band · cabinet · vault · file

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. band — a ring
  5. present — there
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rock — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. vault — a safe
  11. file — a line of people
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. file — a tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. file — a document
  21. band — a music group
  22. present — a gift
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. present — the time now

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