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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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468
Word bank
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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wind — moving air
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. land — to come down
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. vault — a safe
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitch — completely
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wind — moving air
  17. land — ground
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. squash — the sport
  22. land — a country
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. deal — an agreement

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