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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.

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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: bear · date · vault · temple · hide · ball · content · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. last — final
  2. ball — a dance
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bear — the animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. vault — a safe
  18. last — to go on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. last — finally
  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