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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: lean · temple · key · vault · dip · bound · rush · mine

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mine — for digging
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. dip — to sink
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. key — in music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lean — thin
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rush — hurry
  24. temple — side of the head

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