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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.

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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. band — a music group
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wake — a trail
  11. can — a tin
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mark — a trace
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. squash — to crush
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — a tin

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