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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pass — a permit
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rest — a break
  11. mate — to breed
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. craft — boats
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mate — a partner
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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