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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. rash — a series
  3. cold — not warm
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cold — an illness
  6. squash — the sport
  7. vault — a safe
  8. suit — to fit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. fall — to drop
  11. degree — from a university
  12. key — the most important part
  13. degree — an amount
  14. key — in music
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fall — the season
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. fall — to drop
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. suit — in cards
  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