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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: stick · field · hide · trunk · fall · temple · foot · vault

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. vault — a safe
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fall — to drop
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. field — a subject
  16. foot — a measure
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. field — for sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. field — farmland
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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