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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. board — a committee
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lie — to recline
  11. board — to get on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. snap — to click
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — to crush

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