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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lean — to bend
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. lean — thin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stock — shares
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fine — high quality
  18. squash — the sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. suit — to fit
  24. squash — the vegetable

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