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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. season — of the year
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bound — obliged
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. prune — to trim
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. squash — the sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. season — in 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