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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: nail · bank · vault · cell · temple · bat

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bank — for money
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bank — of a river
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bat — in an idiom

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