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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.

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: ball · bay · bat · mine · suit · season · vault · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. suit — clothes
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. season — in sport
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bat — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. suit — in cards
  13. season — of the year
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ball — a dance
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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