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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. press — newspapers
  3. craft — boats
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. race — the arms race
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. race — a contest
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mine — for digging
  14. squash — to crush
  15. date — the fruit
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. race — humankind
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. last — to go on
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. squash — the sport
  22. craft — a skill
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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