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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: firm · temple · chest · snap · rule · shower · vault · can

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rule — a law
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rule — government
  10. can — a tin
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. can — to be able to
  14. chest — of your body
  15. firm — steady
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — a company
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to click
  22. shower — rain
  23. firm — decided
  24. rule — to rule out

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