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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: perch · hand · cold · stand · coach · vault · temple · root

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. root — of a word
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cold — not warm
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stand — to bear
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. hand — in cards
  20. root — the cause
  21. cold — an illness
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hand — help
  24. root — of a plant

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