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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: mine · content · temple · charge · vault · craft · chair · rest

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. vault — a safe
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mine — for digging
  8. craft — boats
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. craft — a skill
  20. charge — in control
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chair — a leader

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