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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 116 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ball — a dance
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ball — a great time
  6. suit — clothes
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stock — shares
  12. suit — to fit
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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