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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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Word bank
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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: lean · plane · spell · ball · vault · temple · kid · court

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. court — of law
  3. ball — a dance
  4. court — for sport
  5. plane — a tool
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. spell — letters
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lean — thin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. court — of a king
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a great time
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. kid — child
  18. lean — to bend
  19. spell — magic
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. kid — to tease
  24. spell — a short time

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