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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. vault — a safe
  3. march — music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. squash — the sport
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. key — for a lock
  8. march — the month
  9. lean — thin
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — to bend
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. key — in music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. march — the month
  24. rest — a break

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