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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 · lean · wound · roll · march · vault · prune · lie

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wound — an injury
  4. roll — a list
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lean — thin
  7. roll — a cake
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wound — an injury
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lie — to recline
  23. march — music
  24. temple — side of the head

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