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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. squash — to crush
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. deal — to handle
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. snap — to click
  11. squash — the sport
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pound — a weight
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ball — a great time
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. dip — to sink

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