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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. squash — the sport
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rest — a break
  13. lean — thin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rest — what's left
  18. vault — a safe
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rush — hurry
  24. deal — to handle

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