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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. squash — the sport
  3. current — electric
  4. squash — to crush
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. suit — to fit
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. suit — in cards
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. suit — clothes
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. firm — a company
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cold — not warm
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. current — of water
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. current — happening now
  24. cold — an illness

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