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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: kick · temple · capital · trunk · object · cue · bay · vault

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. vault — a safe
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. capital — a city
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cue — a signal
  18. kick — in football
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cue — for pool
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. object — a thing
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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