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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fall — to drop
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. squash — to crush
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. squash — the sport
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. fall — to drop
  13. toast — bread
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tube — the underground
  16. suit — in cards
  17. shower — rain
  18. vault — a safe
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fall — the season
  22. tube — a container
  23. shower — to wash
  24. tube — in a tire

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