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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. key — in music
  3. cap — of ice
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. present — the time now
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wound — an injury
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. key — for a lock
  17. present — there
  18. vault — a safe
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. key — the most important part
  24. present — a gift

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