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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 120 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: chest · hand · vault · fine · cap · dip · bound · temple

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cap — of ice
  3. dip — to sink
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. hand — help
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chest — of your body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chest — a box
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. cap — a lid
  22. chest — of your body
  23. dip — to dunk
  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