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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 · race · rest · object · stem · vault

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rest — a break
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. object — an aim
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. race — humankind
  10. rest — what's left
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. object — a thing
  15. race — a contest
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. object — to protest

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