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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fork — in a road
  3. last — to go on
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. last — final
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. date — the fruit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. vault — a safe
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pound — a weight
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. last — finally

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