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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: jam · vault · stand · spring · face · hide · temple · shower

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. shower — to wash
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. face — to confront
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. shower — rain
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stand — to bear
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spring — a coil
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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