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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.

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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pit — in a race
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. suit — clothes
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kid — child
  15. squash — the sport
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. squash — to crush
  21. suit — in cards
  22. kid — to tease
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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