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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: bulb · sharp · wax · bound · vault · hide · temple · clip

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. bound — tied together
  3. clip — to cut
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. clip — a video
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bulb — for light
  17. clip — for paper
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wax — to grow
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bound — certain
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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