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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: hand · rock · current · safe · capital · vault · straw · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rock — a stone
  5. vault — a safe
  6. current — electric
  7. rock — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. hand — help
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. capital — money
  17. hand — in cards
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. current — happening now
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — a city
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. current — of water
  24. rock — to move gently

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