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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: vault · charge · cabinet · chest · fall · rush · temple · tear

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. charge — in control
  8. tear — to rip
  9. charge — a price
  10. fall — the season
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chest — a box
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cabinet — ministers

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