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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: bound · vault · temple · board · lash · wax · fall · degree

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bound — tied together
  8. board — to get on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — obliged
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. board — a committee
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bound — certain

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