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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. land — to come down
  3. cue — a hint
  4. swing — music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — all right
  8. land — ground
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fine — high quality
  15. swing — to play on
  16. land — a country
  17. cue — for pool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. cue — a signal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. drill — the tool
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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