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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: vault · rule · fall · temple · suit · bat

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rule — a law
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rule — government
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fall — the season
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bat — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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