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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: vault · rash · bear · straw · temple · mouse · mark · fan

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rash — a series
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rash — hasty
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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