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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: arm · club · vault · tear · temple · object

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. tear — from crying
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. object — a thing
  10. tear — to rip
  11. object — an aim
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. object — to protest
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tear — from crying
  18. club — for dancing

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