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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: stand · face · wound · temple · track · perch · lean · vault

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. face — part of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. vault — a safe
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. face — to confront
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — to bear
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lean — thin
  23. track — a path
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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