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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: calf · lean · temple · fine · rush · vault · file · last

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. last — final
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fine — all right
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. vault — a safe
  12. last — finally
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. file — a tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lean — thin
  18. last — to go on
  19. rush — hurry
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lean — to bend
  23. file — a document
  24. rush — a thrill

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