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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — to fit
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. face — part of the head
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. squash — the sport
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. squash — the vegetable

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