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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. last — to go on
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stock — goods
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stock — shares
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. snap — to click
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. last — finally
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. last — final
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. squash — the sport

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