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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: branch · rash · bound · temple · sharp · vault · leaves · file

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rash — a series
  5. bound — obliged
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. file — a document
  11. branch — a division
  12. file — a line of people
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bound — tied together
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. file — a tool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. vault — a safe

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