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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: spell · present · vault · trunk · lash · straw · mouse · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. vault — a safe
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. spell — a short time
  12. present — there
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spell — magic
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. present — a gift
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. present — the time now
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. spell — letters

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