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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. perch — the fish
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. vault — a safe
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. file — a document
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. kick — in football
  17. dip — to sink
  18. squash — to crush
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rush — hurry
  21. file — a tool
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. file — a line of people

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