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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: sharp · roll · season · scale · branch · vault · file · temple

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. season — in sport
  3. roll — a cake
  4. branch — a division
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. file — a document
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. vault — a safe
  13. scale — size or range
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. file — a line of people
  18. scale — in music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. sharp — with an edge

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