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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: temple · chest · vault · pop · object · bank · race · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. object — a thing
  7. bank — of a river
  8. chest — a box
  9. firm — decided
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bank — for money
  13. vault — a safe
  14. race — a contest
  15. object — to protest
  16. pop — soda
  17. bank — for money
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — the arms race
  20. chest — of your body
  21. firm — a company
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. object — an aim
  24. race — humankind

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