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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: bear · date · vault · temple · hide · ball

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bear — the animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a great time
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. date — the fruit
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — a safe
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ball — a dance
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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