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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: stock · vault · temple · wave · pitcher · squash · dip · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stock — shares
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stock — goods
  14. squash — the sport
  15. vault — a safe
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bound — certain
  24. wave — with your hand

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