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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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Word bank
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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: temple · scale · vault · dip · cap · suit · tear · game

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. suit — to fit
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cap — of ice
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — in cards
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. scale — in music
  15. tear — to rip
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. scale — size or range
  19. suit — clothes
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cap — a lid
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. scale — for weighing

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