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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: drill · bowl · bay · vault · temple · kick · staff · coach

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. drill — the tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. kick — in football

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