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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 120 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: wave · temple · season · tear · firm · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. tear — from crying
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. firm — a company
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. firm — decided
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. season — of the year
  13. tear — to rip
  14. firm — steady
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. tear — from crying
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. season — in sport

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