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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: hand · rock · temple · trunk · club · band · cell · vault

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rock — music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. vault — a safe
  8. hand — help
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rock — a stone
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. band — a music group
  13. hand — in cards
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cell — in biology
  16. club — for golf
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. band — a ring
  19. cell — a phone
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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