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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: temple · bark · race · vault · mouse · safe · shower · nail

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. shower — to wash
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. shower — rain
  21. race — humankind
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. vault — a safe
  24. safe — out of danger

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