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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: pitcher · temple · fall · tear · vault · lash · stand · scale

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. scale — in music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fall — to drop
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — the season
  13. tear — to rip
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. tear — from crying
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fall — to drop
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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