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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. vault — a safe
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. toast — bread
  12. can — a tin
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. squash — the sport
  15. spell — magic
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. can — a tin
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. clip — a video
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. clip — to cut
  23. plane — a tool
  24. clip — for paper

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