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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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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: temple · vault · spell · club · wind · firm · wound · lie

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. firm — steady
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lie — to recline
  5. club — a group
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wound — an injury
  8. spell — a short time
  9. club — for dancing
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. firm — decided
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. firm — a company
  19. wind — moving air
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. club — for golf
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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