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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: trunk · safe · stand · vault · bowl · chest · roll · temple

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. chest — of your body
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. roll — a list
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. chest — a box
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. vault — a safe
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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