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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. can — a tin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. drill — army training
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rock — music
  13. club — for dancing
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rock — a stone
  16. squash — the sport
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. club — a group
  19. can — a tin
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. squash — to crush
  22. club — for golf
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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