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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. squash — to crush
  3. drill — army training
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mug — a cup
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. squash — the sport
  11. tube — a container
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lean — thin
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ruler — for measuring

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