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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bark — to shout
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. sharp — clever
  7. firm — steady
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. squash — the sport
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. craft — boats
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. firm — decided
  17. kid — child
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. vault — a safe
  21. kid — to tease
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. firm — a company

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