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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mug — to rob
  15. band — a ring
  16. mug — a face
  17. snap — to click
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. band — a music group
  24. squash — to crush

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