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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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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 · spell · rush · toast · staff · vault · wound · bound

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. toast — bread
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. staff — employees
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — hurry
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. staff — employees
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. spell — magic
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bound — certain
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wound — an injury

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