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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lie — to recline
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mate — to breed
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mate — a friend
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. chair — a professorship

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