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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 · ball · temple · stand · file · wound · vault · craft

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wound — an injury
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ball — a great time
  11. craft — boats
  12. file — a document
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stand — to bear

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