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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: bowl · vault · tear · capital · lie · bay · wax · temple

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. capital — money
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lie — to recline
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. capital — a city
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bowl — to roll

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