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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: kick · can · rule · spell · pass · temple · cell · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pass — a permit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rule — government
  5. vault — a safe
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. kick — in football
  11. spell — magic
  12. rule — a law
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cell — in biology
  17. spell — letters
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spell — a short time
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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