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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.

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: field · vault · stand · saw · temple · wax · key · mine

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stand — to bear
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. field — for sport
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. field — farmland
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wax — to grow
  20. key — the most important part
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — in music
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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