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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: temple · deal · rest · stand · drill · vault

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rest — a break
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. deal — to handle
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. drill — the tool
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. drill — army training
  11. rest — what's left
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stand — to bear
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. drill — a practice

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