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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: roll · wave · court · bulb · temple · lash · march · vault

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. march — the month
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. court — of law
  10. bulb — for light
  11. court — of a king
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. vault — a safe
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bulb — for light
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. roll — a list
  24. court — for sport

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