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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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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: club · lean · field · vault · charge · branch · rest · temple

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. club — for dancing
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lean — thin
  6. branch — a division
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — for golf
  11. rest — what's left
  12. vault — a safe
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rest — a break
  15. lean — to bend
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. club — a group
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. charge — in control
  22. field — for sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. charge — a price

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