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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.

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: temple · mate · bound · key · branch · squash · vault · capital

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. squash — the sport
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bound — tied together
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. vault — a safe
  8. key — in music
  9. capital — money
  10. key — the most important part
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mate — a friend
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bound — certain
  18. branch — a division
  19. mate — to breed
  20. capital — a city
  21. mate — a partner
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bound — obliged
  24. squash — the vegetable

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