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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 · temple · kid · wave · coach · bay · wound · mate

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. vault — a safe
  8. kid — child
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mate — a friend
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mate — to breed
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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