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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: date · temple · court · wind · season · safe · vault · squash

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. court — for sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. squash — the sport
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wind — moving air
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. squash — to crush
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wind — moving air
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. season — in sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wind — to turn a key

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