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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: temple · plane · stem · vault · object · wound · bound · sharp

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. object — a thing
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wound — an injury
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. plane — a tool
  19. object — to protest
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bound — tied together
  22. sharp — clever
  23. temple — side of the head
  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