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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · wound · track · mine · present · tube · temple · vault

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. track — a path
  3. mug — a cup
  4. present — the time now
  5. track — to keep track
  6. present — a gift
  7. track — a song
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wound — an injury
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — a container
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mug — to rob
  21. tube — the underground
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. present — there
  24. mug — a face

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