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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: temple · bowl · vault · shower · stand · mine · pass · bat

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. shower — rain
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mine — for digging

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