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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rest — what's left
  3. prune — to trim
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. squash — to crush
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. squash — the sport
  8. club — a group
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. club — for golf
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rest — what's left
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. club — for dancing
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rest — a break
  24. bore — to tire

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