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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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. lash — to lash out
  4. mate — to breed
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. staff — employees
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. clip — for paper
  13. mate — a partner
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. clip — a video
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. clip — to cut
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mate — a friend
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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