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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: lie · toast · bat · temple · branch · season · vault · wind

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. season — in sport
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. toast — bread
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. season — of the year
  24. wind — to turn a key

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