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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · spring · vault · trunk · ground · temple · spell · present

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spell — letters
  4. present — a gift
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. present — there
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. spell — magic
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. spring — the season
  17. ground — a position
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. vault — a safe
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — a short time
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. present — the time now
  24. stand — to bear

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