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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 120 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: cell · land · temple · snap · vault · stand · ball · rush

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. land — to come down
  7. cell — a phone
  8. vault — a safe
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. land — a country
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. snap — to click
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ball — a great time
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. land — ground
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rush — to hurry

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