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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: spring · board · vault · rock · branch · temple · pop · lie

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. spring — of water
  3. board — a committee
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. board — to get on
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rock — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — a division
  21. spring — the season
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spring — a coil
  24. vault — a safe

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