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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 · bowl · fan · straw · bore · lie · chip · vault

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bore — to drill
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bore — to tire
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chip — for betting
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. temple — side of the head

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