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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 · plane · lie · wound · wind · temple

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. vault — a safe
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. plane — a tool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lie — to recline

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