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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. tube — the underground
  3. squash — the sport
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mate — a friend
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. last — finally
  19. tube — a container
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. last — final
  22. vault — a safe
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mate — to breed

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