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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rash · dip · prune · mark · bound · mine

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bound — tied together
  4. dip — to sink
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bound — obliged
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rash — a series
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — certain
  24. temple — a place of worship

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