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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: rush · squash · lie · can · vault · trunk · season · ball

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. vault — a safe
  4. squash — to crush
  5. ball — a great time
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. season — in sport
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lie — to recline
  16. season — of the year
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. can — to be able to

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