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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 · band · temple · sharp · deal · vault · suit · foot

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. suit — in cards
  4. deal — to handle
  5. suit — to fit
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. suit — clothes
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. branch — a division
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. band — a music group
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. sharp — clever
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. band — a ring

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