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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cap — a hat
  5. vault — a safe
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cap — of ice
  18. squash — the sport

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