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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: chair · branch · mouse · vault · arm · mate · temple · cap

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mate — a partner
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chair — a leader
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cap — a hat
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cap — of ice

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