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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 · cell · key · tube · temple · kid · chair · trunk

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. vault — a safe
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cell — in biology
  10. tube — the underground
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. key — for a lock
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. kid — to tease
  15. key — the most important part
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cell — a phone
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. key — in music
  24. kid — child

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