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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. squash — to crush
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rock — music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rock — a stone
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mine — for digging
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. squash — the sport

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