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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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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: squash · spring · bay · temple · fork · stock · vault · press

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fork — in a road
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. spring — the season
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stock — goods
  10. press — to push
  11. stock — shares
  12. press — newspapers
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. spring — a coil
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. spring — of water
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bay — a horse colour

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