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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: tear · temple · vault · scale · pop · kick

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pop — soda
  7. tear — to rip
  8. scale — in music
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. tear — from crying
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kick — in football
  15. tear — from crying
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. scale — size or range
  18. kick — with a leg

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