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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: drill · temple · snap · lie · vault · rock · last · bat

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. drill — the tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. drill — a practice
  8. last — to go on
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — finally
  14. rock — music
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — final
  19. drill — army training
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. vault — a safe
  23. snap — to click
  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