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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: vault · temple · kick · cabinet · stick · mine · object · dip

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. object — to protest
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. dip — to sink
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. object — a thing
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — in football
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mine — for digging
  21. object — an aim
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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