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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
468
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: spell · scale · ground · squash · lean · vault · chair · temple

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spell — a short time
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ground — a position
  5. vault — a safe
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chair — a leader
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lean — to bend
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ground — crushed
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. squash — to crush
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. scale — in music

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