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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: press · shower · vault · foot · craft · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. foot — a measure
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. press — a publisher
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. craft — boats
  10. shower — to wash
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. shower — rain
  13. press — newspapers
  14. craft — a skill
  15. vault — a safe
  16. press — to push
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship

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