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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. vault — a safe
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. squash — to crush
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. squash — the sport
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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