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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. row — to paddle
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. row — a line
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. branch — a division
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stand — to bear

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