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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 120 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: vault · pound · bound · spring · snap · branch · temple · staff

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. staff — a stick
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bound — obliged
  8. spring — of water
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — a weight
  12. branch — a division
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. snap — to click
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bound — certain
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bound — tied together
  24. staff — employees

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