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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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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: capital · squash · bay · lean · vault · mouse · safe · temple

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. capital — a city
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. capital — money
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. squash — to crush
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lean — thin
  16. vault — a safe
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. squash — the sport
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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