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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · mug · lean · vault · race · squash · can · leaves

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lean — thin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. race — a contest
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mug — a cup
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. race — humankind
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. court — of law
  20. can — a tin
  21. vault — a safe
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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