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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rash — hasty
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. squash — to crush
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rash — a series
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bound — certain
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. snap — to click

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