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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: foot · march · squash · cold · mouse · can · bound · vault

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bound — certain
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bound — obliged
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. can — a tin
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. squash — to crush
  18. march — the month
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cold — an illness
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bound — tied together

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