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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: temple · vault · fan · chair · wound · pound · key · season

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. season — in sport
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. season — of the year
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. vault — a safe
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wound — an injury

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