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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: mouse · rock · stand · temple · vault · fall · cell · track

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. track — a song
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cell — a phone
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stand — to bear
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fall — to drop
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cell — in biology
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. track — a path
  24. mouse — the animal

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