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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · cell · swing · vault · mate · hide

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. 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. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mate — a partner
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cell — in biology
  13. squash — the sport
  14. vault — a safe
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cell — a phone
  17. swing — music
  18. squash — the vegetable

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