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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: cap · mouse · wind · tube · rock · vault · temple · bank

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bank — for money
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cap — of ice
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tube — a container
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — a lid
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bank — for money

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