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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 · vault · fork · pound · clip · firm · fall · wave

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. clip — to cut
  4. firm — a company
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. vault — a safe
  7. clip — for paper
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. firm — steady
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. clip — a video
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. firm — decided
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. temple — a place of worship

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