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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mug — a cup
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. swing — in golf
  7. squash — to crush
  8. swing — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mark — a grade
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mug — a face
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wind — moving air
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wound — an injury
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mark — a trace

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