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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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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 · stock · stick · stem · fork · safe · vault · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cold — not warm
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — goods
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cold — an illness
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stock — shares
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fork — in a road

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