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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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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: rash · degree · vault · temple · face · race · bark · cap

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rash — a series
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. face — part of the head
  9. race — a contest
  10. face — to confront
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. race — humankind
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cap — a hat
  18. degree — an amount
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cap — a lid
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. degree — temperature
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — hasty

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