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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. spring — the season
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. spring — of water
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bank — for money
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bat — the animal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bank — for money

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