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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. club — a group
  4. vault — a safe
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. staff — a stick
  7. last — to go on
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. squash — to crush
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — for dancing
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kid — to tease
  15. club — for golf
  16. hand — in cards
  17. last — final
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hand — help
  20. staff — employees
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. last — finally
  23. kid — child
  24. hide — animal skin

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