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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: bank · vault · temple · fork · cold · bowl

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bank — for money
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — a safe
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cold — not warm
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bank — for money

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