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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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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: hide · vault · rock · sharp · rule · temple · current · present

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — happening now
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. rock — music
  11. rule — government
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. vault — a safe
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. current — electric
  20. rule — a law
  21. current — of water
  22. present — there
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rock — to move gently

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