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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: temple · bear · stick · degree · stem · branch · vault · drill

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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. bear — the animal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. drill — a practice
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — a division
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. drill — army training

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