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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: spring · bass · last · fall · bear · firm · temple · vault

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. firm — a company
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bear — the animal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. last — to go on
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spring — the season
  10. bass — low music
  11. firm — decided
  12. last — finally
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fall — to drop
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. last — final
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spring — of water
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. firm — steady
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fall — the season

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