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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: pass · vault · cabinet · nail · temple · bark · sharp · cold

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cold — not warm
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pass — a permit
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. sharp — clever
  24. nail — for a hammer

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