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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — humankind
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pit — in a race
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. squash — the sport
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pit — a hole
  16. squash — to crush
  17. race — the arms race
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. race — a contest
  22. capital — money
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. capital — a city

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