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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. perch — the fish
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to click
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mug — a face
  9. saw — the tool
  10. race — a contest
  11. vault — a safe
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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