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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: ground · bank · date · bat · vault · spell · temple · mark

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bank — for money
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ground — a position
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bank — for money
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mark — a grade
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mark — a trace
  24. vault — a safe

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