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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.

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
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: spell · squash · vault · suit · last · cold · mouse · ball

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. squash — the sport
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. suit — in cards
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cold — an illness
  10. spell — magic
  11. ball — a great time
  12. last — finally
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. suit — to fit
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ball — a round shape

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