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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 120 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 · track · calf · ball · coach · file · vault · root

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. root — of a plant
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. track — to keep track
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — the cause
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. vault — a safe
  14. track — a song
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. track — a path
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a tool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. temple — side of the head

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