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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 120 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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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: temple · cue · tear · lie · vault · sharp · spell · last

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tear — to rip
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. spell — letters
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tear — from crying
  7. last — to go on
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lie — to recline
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — a signal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. last — final
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cue — for pool
  21. spell — magic
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. last — finally
  24. sharp — clever

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