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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: vault · wound · rash · branch · chair · temple · spell · court

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. vault — a safe
  3. court — for sport
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rash — hasty
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. court — of law
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spell — magic
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spell — letters
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spell — a short time
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. court — of a king
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. branch — a division
  24. chair — a professorship

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