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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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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pit — a hole
  3. squash — to crush
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tear — from crying
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pit — in a race
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mug — a face
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. squash — the sport
  18. tube — a container

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