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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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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: field · temple · lash · vault · last · staff · shower · chip

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. field — a subject
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. field — farmland
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. field — for sport
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. shower — rain
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chip — for betting
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. last — final
  22. chip — to eat
  23. staff — a stick
  24. shower — to wash

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