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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: drill · bowl · bay · vault · temple · kick

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kick — in football
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. drill — the tool
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. temple — side of the head

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