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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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 — the vegetable
  2. bass — low music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. squash — to crush
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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