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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: temple · vault · squash · key · spring · rule · bat · leaves

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rule — government
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spring — of water
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. key — in music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bat — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rule — a law
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. spring — a coil
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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