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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: kid · straw · clip · vault · temple · plane · can · stand

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. kid — to tease
  4. can — to be able to
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. kid — child
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. can — a tin
  9. clip — for paper
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — to cut
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. can — a tin
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stand — to bear
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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