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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: temple · clip · jam · hide · court · wound · squash · vault

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. court — of a king
  5. wound — an injury
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. court — for sport
  8. clip — a video
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. court — of law
  13. squash — to crush
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. wound — an injury
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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