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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rush — hurry
  6. board — to get on
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. squash — to crush
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. squash — the sport
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. swing — in golf
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. vault — a safe
  21. content — happy
  22. swing — music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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