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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: vault · firm · row · content · temple · stand · fine · prune

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stand — to bear
  3. firm — a company
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fine — all right
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. content — happy
  11. row — a line
  12. content — the amount
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — a safe
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. firm — decided
  19. row — to paddle
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. prune — the fruit

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