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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. vault — a safe
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. suit — clothes
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rash — hasty
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rash — a series
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rash — on the skin
  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