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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · wake · rule · cold · vault · squash · current · temple

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. current — happening now
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wake — a trail
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. current — of water
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rule — government
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rule — a law
  15. vault — a safe
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cold — not warm
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. current — electric
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. squash — to crush

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