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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: vault · bowl · court · wake · straw · mug · stand · temple

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. court — for sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mug — a face
  11. court — of a king
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. vault — a safe
  18. court — of law
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. temple — a place of worship

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