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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mate — a partner
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. saw — the tool
  5. content — happy
  6. bound — tied together
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. present — there
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. present — a gift
  12. craft — boats
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. present — the time now
  15. content — the amount
  16. bound — obliged
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. vault — a safe
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. craft — a skill

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