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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. present — a gift
  9. suit — in cards
  10. vault — a safe
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. suit — to fit
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. suit — clothes

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