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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 · vault · shower · cap · spring · key · track · race

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spring — the season
  3. key — in music
  4. shower — to wash
  5. key — for a lock
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. race — humankind
  8. shower — rain
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — the most important part
  11. race — a contest
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. track — a song
  14. race — the arms race
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spring — a coil
  18. vault — a safe
  19. track — a path
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. spring — of water

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