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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.

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: bat · vault · mug · rule · squash · season · temple · wake

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — government
  4. mug — a face
  5. wake — a trail
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. season — of the year
  9. squash — to crush
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mug — to rob
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. season — in sport
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rule — a law
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. season — to add flavour

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