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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: temple · pit · row · shower · vault · bay · trunk · stand

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — to bear
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. shower — to wash
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pit — in a race
  13. row — to paddle
  14. shower — rain
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. row — a line
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. temple — side of the head

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