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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: stand · nail · kick · vault · pound · band · temple · cabinet

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stand — to bear
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pound — a weight
  8. vault — a safe
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — in football
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. band — a ring
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. band — a music group
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pound — for dogs

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