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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: saw · vault · bat · branch · bulb · temple · snap · chest

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. chest — a box
  4. saw — the tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. branch — a division
  14. snap — to click
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chest — of your body
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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