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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: ruler · can · jam · drill · vault · stand · safe · temple

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stand — to bear
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. can — a tin
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. vault — a safe
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. can — a tin

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