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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
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: date · track · vault · charge · arm · temple · shower · face

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. shower — to wash
  5. track — a song
  6. vault — a safe
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. date — the fruit
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. face — part of the head
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. track — a path
  18. charge — in control
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. shower — rain
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. track — to keep track

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