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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: kid · lie · field · temple · bank · vault · file · ball

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ball — a dance
  3. field — a subject
  4. lie — to recline
  5. field — farmland
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bank — of a river
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. kid — to tease
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kid — child
  18. bank — for money
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. 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