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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.

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: spell · root · last · sharp · content · temple · charge · vault

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. charge — a price
  4. root — of a plant
  5. last — finally
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. content — the amount
  8. spell — a short time
  9. last — to go on
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. spell — magic
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — happy
  19. sharp — clever
  20. charge — electricity
  21. vault — a safe
  22. charge — in control
  23. spell — letters
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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