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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: cap · dip · hand · vault · bank · tube · temple · band

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. band — a music group
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. tube — the underground
  7. hand — help
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. tube — a container
  12. dip — to sink
  13. band — a ring
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bank — for money
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cap — a lid
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bank — of a river

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