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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rash — a series
  4. deal — to handle
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. shower — to wash
  11. game — wild animals
  12. vault — a safe
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. squash — the sport
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. shower — rain
  19. squash — to crush
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. game — a match
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. deal — a big deal

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