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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: bowl · staff · stick · present · vault · calf · temple · tube

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. present — a gift
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. present — the time now
  7. tube — the underground
  8. staff — employees
  9. tube — a container
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. staff — a stick
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. present — there
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. tube — in a tire

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