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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. squash — to crush
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. shower — rain
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bound — tied together
  23. date — the fruit
  24. chair — a leader

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