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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. land — to come down
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. march — the month
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. kid — to tease
  9. face — to confront
  10. march — music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. land — ground
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rock — a stone
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. land — a country
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. march — the month
  22. kid — child
  23. mouse — the animal
  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