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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: stand · vault · season · nail · key · mate · arm · temple

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stand — to bear
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. key — in music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. season — of the year
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mate — to breed
  16. key — for a lock
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. season — in sport
  23. vault — a safe
  24. season — to add flavour

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