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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 124 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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 — the vegetable
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bore — to tire
  6. squash — the sport
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. toast — bread
  10. squash — to crush
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. shower — rain
  16. bore — to drill
  17. shower — to wash
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — a safe
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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