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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 120 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: wave · vault · temple · content · squash · coach · straw · pit

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pit — a hole
  11. squash — to crush
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. content — the amount
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. content — happy
  17. vault — a safe
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pit — in a race
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. coach — a trainer
  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