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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: firm · net · bark · coach · trunk · date · vault · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. firm — decided
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. firm — steady
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — in sport
  9. bark — to shout
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. firm — a company
  23. vault — a safe
  24. trunk — of a tree

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