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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 · capital · temple · fall · firm · tear · wave · content

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. firm — steady
  5. vault — a safe
  6. tear — from crying
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fall — to drop
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tear — to rip
  13. capital — a city
  14. content — happy
  15. capital — money
  16. content — the amount
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fall — the season
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fall — to drop
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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