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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · wound · season · calf · degree · temple · drill · vault

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. season — of the year
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. degree — an amount
  6. drill — the tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. drill — army training
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. season — in sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. degree — temperature
  17. vault — a safe
  18. drill — a practice
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. branch — a division
  24. degree — from a university

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