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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: bowl · temple · pound · file · vault · mark · kick · calf

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mark — a trace
  3. kick — in football
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. file — a tool
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. file — a line of people
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pound — a weight
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. file — a document
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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