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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mine — for digging
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ball — a great time
  11. shower — rain
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. vault — a safe
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mine — an explosive

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